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Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Strengthened support to victims of prostitution and easier access to telephone help lines for victims of violence

    Source: Government of Sweden

    In its 2025 Budget Bill, the Government is presenting a range of initiatives to tackle men’s violence against women. The Government intends to propose strengthening support to victims of prostitution, and to allocate SEK 10 million for this purpose in 2025. The Government also intends to propose reinforcements to national telephone help lines for victims of violence, with the aim of preventing and combating men’s violence against women, intimate partner violence, honour-based violence and oppression, and prostitution and human trafficking. It is therefore proposed that the National Centre for Knowledge on Men’s Violence Against Women (NCK) at Uppsala University receive an additional SEK 7 million in 2025. The aim is to increase the national help lines’ response rate.

    “Efforts to prevent and combat men’s violence against women, intimate partner violence and honour-based violence and oppression are top priorities for the Government and the parties cooperating with it. That’s why we want to see an increase in support to people who are victims of prostitution, a highly vulnerable group of people. We also want to continue increasing support to the national phone help lines for victims of violence so that response rates can be improved. In order to combat violence and oppression, it is important that victims of violence can get through to the help lines,” says Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life Paulina Brandberg.

    “Displaced women are especially vulnerable to exploitation and are at risk of being forced into prostitution. Efforts to combat human trafficking are taking place on a broad front, of which an important part is supporting and helping those who are vulnerable,” says former Minister for Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard.

    “Women who are subjected to violence, abuse and coercive control must be given the support they need. This Government is investing heavily in combating the oppression of women, regardless of which form it takes,” says gender equality spokesperson Camilla Rinaldo Miller (Christian Democrats).

    “These initiatives are important steps in ensuring that no victim of violence is left on their own. The Sweden Democrats and the Government take these issues seriously and will continue working to ensure that every voice seeking help is heard,” says gender equality spokesperson Michael Rubbestad (Sweden Democrats).

    Strengthened support to victims of prostitution

    In the Budget Bill for 2025, the Government intends to propose a reinforcement of SEK 10 million in support to victims of prostitution in 2025. The Government also intends to propose a reinforcement of SEK 5 million in support to victims of prostitution in 2026. The proposal is based on an agreement between the Government and the Sweden Democrats.

    It is a priority that adults who want to leave prostitution or who have been trafficked for sexual purposes receive the protection, support and help they need, and that no children are subjected to sexual exploitation or human trafficking.

    In December 2023, the Government received the report Ut ur utsatthet (‘Out of vulnerability’ – Swedish Government Official Report 2023:97) from the Inquiry on an Exit Programme for Victims of Prostitution. The report is being processed by the Government Offices.

    Strengthening national help lines for victims of violence

    NCK operates help lines for women, men and trans people. NCK is implementing this help line on behalf of the National Centre against Honour-related violence and oppression.

    The telephone help lines are under a lot of pressure. Currently, 16 per cent of callers to the women’s help line do not even get in the queue, because the lines are so busy and the queue is full. 31 per cent of those phoning the women’s help line, 44 per cent of those calling the men’s help line, and 47 per cent of those calling the help line for trans people hang up before their call is taken. Particularly in the evening and at night, many people hang up before they get through to the front of the queue. 

    In the Budget Bill for 2025, the Government intends to propose an additional SEK 7 million per year to the help lines in 2025–2027. The proposal is based on an agreement between the Government and the Sweden Democrats. NCK also runs the ‘Right to choose’ (Rätt att välja) help line, a pilot project help line for people who have questions about, or who are being subjected to, honour-based violence and oppression.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Monica Pasillas Appointed IAM Grand Lodge Auditor

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes has appointed longtime IAM activist Monica Pasillas as a Grand Lodge Auditor, effective Oct. 1, 2024.

    Pasillas, a 13-year IAM member, initiated into IAM Chicago Local 2339O in 2011 as an ExpressJet flight attendant. She later transferred to Newark Local 2339N. She had taken on leadership roles in both locals including conductor sentinel, recording secretary, grievance representative and secretary-treasurer. In these capacities, she effectively advocated for the needs of members, played an integral role in ensuring their rights were upheld, participated in organizing and strike campaigns, and served on the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Event Review Committee.

    “Monica is as well-rounded an IAM activist as we have in our organization,” said IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes. “She has a tireless commitment to serving our membership, and will be a huge help in ensuring the safe stewardship of our membership’s resources.”

    Pasillas, a fluent Spanish speaker with proficiency in French, expanded her leadership skills with her involvement in the Spanish Leadership at the IAM’s Winpsinger Center, where she helped promote education and support for Spanish-speaking members.

    “We’re thrilled to welcome Monica into her role as a Grand Lodge Auditor,” said Paul Kendall, IAM Assistant Secretary to the General Secretary-Treasurer. “Our Grand Lodge Auditing Team continues to adapt to the needs of our membership and assist every local across North America.”

    In 2018, Pasillas transitioned to the National IAM Benefit Trust Fund (BTF) as an education representative, gaining valuable insights into the health and welfare needs of the participants. The following year, she joined the General Secretary-Treasurer’s Office as an administrative staff secretary, where she has held key roles in the Central Files Department, Pension Department, and currently, the Auditing Department.

    “Monica brings a unique skill set and experience level to her new role as a Grand Lodge Auditor,” said Bryan Pinette, IAM Special Assistant to the General Secretary-Treasurer. “Our members will continue to be well-served by her determination to defend and protect our organization and the causes we care about.”

    Pasillas holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and sciences with a concentration in commercial French studies and supporting coursework in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As a first-generation Mexican American growing up in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, Pasillas developed a strong sense of community and resilience. With a focus on empowering others by providing them with the resources and tools they need to thrive in their roles, she will continue to champion the voices of those like her, ensuring a bright future for all.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Relaunches Mentor-Protégé Program to Fill Supply Chain Gaps

    Source: NASA

    In an effort to grow new commercial markets that support the future of space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research, NASA is preparing to relaunch its Mentor-Protégé Program for contractors on Friday, Nov. 1.
    The program originally was launched to encourage NASA prime contractors, or mentors, to enter into agreements with eligible small businesses, or protégés. These agreements were created to enhance the protégés’ performance on NASA contracts and subcontracts, foster the establishment of long-term business relationships between small businesses and NASA prime contractors, and increase the overall number of small businesses that receive NASA contracts and subcontract awards.
    “The NASA Mentor-Protégé Program is a critical enabling tool that allows experienced companies to provide business developmental assistance to emerging firms,” said Dwight Deneal, assistant administrator for NASA’s Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP). “The program enables NASA to expand its industrial base of suppliers, as prime and subcontractors, to assist in executing the mission and programs throughout the agency.”
    The program’s relaunch follows an assessment of its policies and procedures by OSBP to ensure it continues to support NASA’s missions and addresses any supply chain gaps at an optimal level.
    To provide more information about the program and its relaunch, OSBP will host an online lunch and learn event on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 1:00 p.m. EST. The event is open to all current and potential mentors and protégés who want to learn more about changes in the program, qualifications to participate, and how to apply.
    “We are excited about rolling out the enhanced NASA Mentor-Protégé Program,” said David Brock, lead small business specialist for OSBP. “The program’s new focus will allow large businesses to mentor smaller firms in key areas that align with NASA’s mission and opportunities within the agency’s supply chain.”
    One key change expands eligibility to all small businesses, in addition to minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Ability One entities. This expansion enables the program to support an inclusive environment for more small businesses and underserved communities to interact with NASA and its contractors.
    The program also will focus on engaging businesses within a select number of North American Industry Classifications System (NAICS) codes and specific industry sectors, such as research and development and aerospace manufacturing. These adjustments will allow the program to better support NASA’s long-term strategic goals and mission success.
    The program is designed to benefit both the mentor and the protégé by fostering productive networking and contract opportunities. In a mentor-protégé agreement, mentors build relationships with small businesses, developing a subcontracting base and accruing credit toward their small business subcontracting goals. In addition, protégés receive technical and developmental assistance while also gaining sole-source contracts from mentors and additional contracting opportunities.
    NASA is responsible for the administration and management of each agreement. The OSBP oversees the program and conducts semi-annual performance reviews to monitor progress and accomplishments made as a result of the mentor-protégé agreement.
    To apply to be a mentor, companies must be a current NASA prime contractor with an approved small business contracting plan. Companies also must be eligible for the receipt of government contracts and be categorized under certain NAICS codes. Potential protégés must certify as a small business within NAICS size standards.
    Find more information about participating in NASA’s Mentor-Protégé Program at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/osbp/mentor-protege-program

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The ancient Irish get far too much credit for Halloween

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lisa Bitel, Dean’s Professor of Religion & Professor of History, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

    The Celtic festival of Samhain celebrates a time of year when the division between Earth and the otherworld collapses, allowing spirits to pass through. Matt Cardy/Getty Images

    This time of year, I often run across articles proclaiming Halloween a modern form of the pagan Irish holiday of Samhain – pronounced SAW-en. But as a historian of Ireland and its medieval literature, I can tell you: Samhain is Irish. Halloween isn’t.

    The Irish often get credit – or blame – for the bonfires, pranksters, witches, jack-o’-lanterns and beggars who wander from house to house, threatening tricks and soliciting treats.

    The first professional 19th-century folklorists were the ones who created a through line from Samhain to Halloween. Oxford University’s John Rhys and James Frazer of the University of Cambridge were keen to find the origins of their national cultures.

    They observed lingering customs in rural areas of Britain and Ireland and searched medieval texts for evidence that these practices and beliefs had ancient pagan roots. They mixed stories of magic and paganism with harvest festivals and whispers of human sacrifice, and you can still find echoes of their outdated theories on websites.

    But the Halloween we celebrate today has more to do with the English, a ninth-century pope and America’s obsession with consumerism.

    A changing of the seasons

    For two millennia, Samhain, the night of Oct. 31, has marked the turn from summer to winter on the Irish calendar. It was one of four seasonal signposts in agricultural and pastoral societies.

    After Samhain, people brought the animals inside as refuge from the long, cold nights of winter. Imbolc, which is on Feb. 1, marked the beginning of the lambing season, followed by spring planting. Beltaine signaled the start of mating season for humans and beasts alike on May 1, and Lughnasadh kicked off the harvest on Aug. 1.

    But whatever the ancient Irish did on Oct. 31 is lost to scholars because there’s almost no evidence of their pagan traditions except legends written by churchmen around 800 A.D., about 400 years after the Irish started turning Christian. Although they wrote about the adventures of their ancestors, churchmen could only imagine the pagan ways that had disappeared.

    A neopagan celebration of Samhain in October 2021.
    Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    An otherworld more utopian than terrifying

    These stories about the pagan past told of Irish kings holding annual weeklong feasts, markets and games at Samhain. The day ended early in northwestern Europe, before 5 p.m., and winter nights were long. After sundown, people went inside to eat, drink and listen to storytellers.

    The stories did not link Samhain with death and horror. But they did treat Samhain as a night of magic, when the otherworld – what, in Irish, was known as the “sí” – opened its portals to mortals. One tale, “The Adventure of Nera,” warned that if you went out on Samhain Eve, you might meet dead men or warriors from the sí, or you might unknowingly wander into the otherworld.

    When Nera went out on a dare, he met a thirsty corpse in search of drink and unwittingly followed warriors through a portal into the otherworld. But instead of ghosts and terror, Nera found love. He ended up marrying a “ban sídh” – pronounced “BAN-shee” – an otherworldly woman. But here’s the medieval twist to the tale: He lived happily ever after in this otherworld with his family and farm.

    The Irish otherworld was no hell, either. In medieval tales, it is a sunny place in perpetual spring. Everyone who lives there is beautiful, powerful, immortal and blond. They have good teeth. The rivers flow with mead and wine, and food appears on command. No sexual act is a sin. The houses sparkle with gems and precious metals. Even the horses are perfect.

    Clampdown on pagan customs

    The link between Oct. 31, ghosts and devils was really the pope’s fault.

    In 834, Pope Gregory IV decreed Nov. 1 the day for celebrating all Christian saints. In English, the feast day became All Hallows Day. The night before – Oct. 31 – became known as All Hallows Eve.

    Some modern interpretations insist that Pope Gregory created All Hallows Day to quell pagan celebrations of Samhain. But Gregory knew nothing of ancient Irish seasonal holidays. In reality, he probably did it because everyone celebrated All Saints on different days and, like other Popes, Gregory sought to consolidate and control the liturgical calendar.

    In the later Middle Ages, All Hallows Eve emerged as a popular celebration of the saints. People went to church and prayed to the saints for favors and blessings. Afterward, they went home to feast. Then, on Nov. 2, they celebrated All Souls’ Day by praying for the souls of their lost loved ones, hoping that prayers would help their dead relatives out of purgatory and into heaven.

    But in the 16th century, the Protestant rulers of Britain and Ireland quashed saints’ feast days, because praying to saints seemed idolatrous. Protestant ministers did their best to eliminate popular customs of the early November holidays, such as candle-lit processions and harvest bonfires.

    In the minds of ministers, these customs smacked of heathenism.

    A mishmash of traditions

    Our Halloween of costumed beggars and leering jack-o’-lanterns descends from this mess of traditions, storytelling and antiquarianism.

    Like our ancestors, we constantly remake our most important holidays to suit current culture.

    Jack-o’-lanterns are neither ancient nor Irish. One of the earliest references is an 18th-century account of an eponymous Jack, who tricked the devil one too many times and was condemned to wander the world forever.

    Supposedly, Jack, or whatever the hero was called, carved a turnip and stuck a candle in it as his lantern. But the custom of carving turnips in early November probably originated in England with celebrations of All Saints’ Day and another holiday, Guy Fawkes Day on Nov. 5, with its bonfires and fireworks, and it spread from there.

    Guy Fawkes Day, an annual celebration in Great Britain, features fireworks and bonfires and is observed on Nov. 5.
    Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis via Getty Images

    As for ancient bonfires, the Irish and Britons built them to celebrate Beltaine, but not Samhain – at least, not according to the medieval tales.

    In 19th-century Ireland, All Hallows Eve was a time for communal suppers, games like bobbing for apples and celebrating the magic of courtship. For instance, girls tried to peel apples in one long peel; then they examined the peels to see what letters they resembled – the initials of their future husbands’ names. Boys crept out of the gathering, despite warnings, to make mischief, taking off farm gates or stealing cabbages and hurling them at the neighbors’ doors.

    Halloween with an American sheen

    Across the Atlantic, these customs first appeared in the mid-19th century, when the Irish, English and many other immigrant groups brought their holidays to the U.S.

    In medieval Scotland, “guisers” were people who dressed in disguise and begged for “soul cakes” on All Souls Day. These guisers probably became the costumed children who threatened – and sometimes perpetrated – mischief unless given treats. Meanwhile, carved turnips became jack-o’-lanterns, since pumpkins were plentiful in North America – and easier to carve.

    Like Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter, Halloween eventually became a feast of consumerism. Companies mass-produced costumes, paper decorations and packaged candy. People in Britain and Ireland blamed the Americans for the spread of modern Halloween and its customs. British schools even tried to quash the holiday in the 1990s because of its disorderly and demonic connotations.

    The only real remnant of Samhain in Halloween is the date. Nowadays, no one expects to stumble into a romance in the sí. Only those drawn to the ancient Celtic past sense the numinous opening of the otherworld at Samhain.

    But who’s to say which reality prevails when the portals swing open in the dark of Oct. 31?

    Lisa Bitel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The ancient Irish get far too much credit for Halloween – https://theconversation.com/the-ancient-irish-get-far-too-much-credit-for-halloween-239801

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SPbGASU took part in a conference on fire-safe construction

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    The International Scientific and Practical Conference “Fire-Safe Construction” was held at the St. Petersburg University of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia at the Technopark of Science and High Technologies. The event was held as part of the forum “Security Service in Russia: Experience, Problems, Prospects” and brought together leading industry experts, representatives of government agencies, scientific institutions and specialized organizations to discuss current issues in the field of fire-safe construction.

    The conference brought together representatives of specialized organizations, the scientific community, and the public sector. Employees of government bodies, including representatives of the Construction Committee of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, delivered welcoming remarks, emphasizing the importance of complying with fire safety standards to protect citizens and infrastructure.

    The delegation of SPbGASU included Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Andrey Nikulin, who delivered a welcoming speech at the opening of the session, Head of the Department of Construction Organization Roman Motylev, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering for Research, Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural and Civil Engineering Structures Olga Pastukh, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering for Career Guidance, Associate Professor of the Department of Technosphere Safety Alexander Glukhanov and representatives of the Department of Metal and Wooden Structures: Professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences Alexander Chernykh and Associate Professor Stefania Mironova, who took an active part in the scientific discussion. Colleagues shared their experience and research in the field of fire safety both in labor protection in construction and during construction, testing of various construction materials for the construction of buildings and structures, focusing on personnel training and the implementation of advanced safety standards.

    As part of the section “Changes in legislation and new fire safety requirements”, Andrey Nikulin and Alexander Glukhanov presented a report “Training of personnel in the field of fire safety in construction. Problems and prospects”. In his speech, the dean emphasized that improving the quality of training specialists and strengthening the culture of fire safety is possible only with the active participation of mature, socially responsible businesses in the educational process. He noted that such interaction contributes to the development of high standards of fire safety at construction and operational sites, and also lays down important professional skills for future specialists.

    The conference became a platform for presenting the latest approaches to technical regulation, innovative materials and technologies aimed at preventing fires in the construction industry. Thus, the participants discussed expert analysis of existing standards, presented developments of materials with reduced flammability and new methods of automated fire extinguishing systems. One of the reports was devoted to the use of nanotechnology to create environmentally friendly, fire-resistant materials, as well as computer modeling methods for assessing the effectiveness of fire prevention measures.

    The conference concluded with a resolution containing recommendations for improving safety in the construction industry and calling for an update of fire safety standards. Participants noted the importance of government support, as well as the interest of business and educational institutions in the further development of a fire safety culture.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Climate change is making it harder for people to get the care they need

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Maria S. Floro, Professor Emerita of Economics, American University

    The world is witnessing the consequences of climate change: long-lasting changes in temperature and rainfall, and more intense and frequent extreme weather events such as heat waves, hurricanes, typhoons, flooding and drought. All make it harder for families and communities to meet their care needs.

    Climate change affects care systems in various ways. First, sudden illnesses and unexpected disabilities heighten the need for care. Second, it reduces access to important inputs for care such as water, food and safe shelter. Third, it can damage physical and social care infrastructures.

    It can also lead to breakdowns of traditional units of caregiving such as households and communities. And it creates new situations of need with the increase in displaced person settlements and refugee camps.

    Climate change creates sudden spikes in the demand for care, and serious challenges to meeting the growing need for care. All this has immediate and long lasting effects on human well-being.

    The size of the current unmet care needs throughout the world is substantial. In childcare alone, about 23% of children worldwide – nearly 350 million – need childcare but do not have it. Families in low- and lower-middle-income countries are the most in need.

    Similarly, as the world’s population ages rapidly, only a small proportion of the elderly who need assistance are able to use formal care (in an institution or paid homecare). Most are cared for by family members or other unpaid caregivers. Much of this unpaid care and formal care work is provided by women and girls.

    Hundreds of millions of people around the world struggle to get healthcare. Expansion of access to essential health services has slowed compared to pre-2015 . And healthcare costs still create financial hardship.

    Without comprehensive public and global support for care provision and the integration of care in the climate agenda, unmet care needs will only grow and inequalities will widen.

    Impact

    Climate change interacts with human health in complex ways. Its impact is highly uneven across populations. It depends on geographical region, income, education, gender roles, social norms, level of development, and the institutional capacity and accessibility of health systems.

    In 2018-22, Africa experienced the biggest increase in the heat-related mortality rate since 2000-05. This is not surprising as the continent has more frequent health-threatening temperatures than ever before and a growing population of people older than 65.

    Africa is also the region most affected by droughts in 2013-22, with 64% of its land area affected by at least one month of extreme drought per year on average. It was followed by Oceania (55% of its land area) and South and Central America (53%).

    Scientific evidence also points to increases in health inequalities caused by climate change. The health effects of climate change are not uniformly felt by different population groups.

    Exposure, severity of impact, and ability of individuals to recover depend on a variety of factors. Physiological characteristics, income, education, type of occupation, location, social norms and health systems are some of them.

    For example, older people and young children face the greatest health risks from high temperatures.

    There is also evidence of the disproportionate effect of climate change on the health of people living in poverty and those who belong to disadvantaged groups.

    Women of lower social and economic status and with less education are more vulnerable to heat stress compared to women in wealthier households and with higher education or social status. They are exposed to pollution in the absence of clean cooking fuel, and to extreme heat as they walk to gather water and fuel, or do other work outdoors.

    Bad sanitation in poor urban areas increases the incidence of water-borne diseases after heavy rains and floods.

    Lack of access to healthcare services and the means to pay for medicines make it difficult for women and men in low-income households to recover from illness, heat strokes, and air pollution-related ailments.

    Mental health problems are being attributed to climate change as well. Studies show that the loss of family or kin member, home, livelihood and a safe environment can bring about direct emotional impacts.

    These adverse impacts increase the demand for caregiving and the care workload. Climate-induced health problems force family and community caregivers, particularly women, to spend more time looking after the sick and disabled, particularly frail elderly people and children.

    Effect on food and water

    Climate change threatens the availability of food, clean water and safe shelter. It erodes households’ and communities’ care capacity and hence societies’ ability to thrive.

    Fluctuations in food supply and rising food prices as a result of environmental disasters, along with the inadequacy of government policies, underscore the mounting challenge of meeting food needs.

    The threat of chronic shortage of safe drinking water has also risen. Water scarcity is an area where structural inequalities and gender disparities are laid bare.

    Care for the sick and disabled, the young and the elderly is compromised when water is scarce.

    Effects on providing care

    Extreme weather events disrupt physical care infrastructures. It may be hard to reach hospitals, clinics, daycare centres, nursery schools and nursing homes. Some facilities may be damaged and have to close.

    Another type of care system that can break down is family networks and support provided by friends and neighbours. These informal care sharing arrangements are illustrated in a study of the three large informal settlements in Nairobi.

    About half (50.5%) of the sampled households reported having had a sick member in the two weeks before the survey. The majority relied on close friends and family members living nearby for care and support.

    Studies have shown that climate change eventually leads to livelihood loss and resource scarcity, which can weaken social cohesion and local safety nets in affected communities.

    Heightened risks and uncertainty and imminent changes in socio-economic and political conditions can also compel individuals or entire households to migrate. Migration is caused by a host of factors, but it has increasingly been a climate-related response.

    The World Bank’s Groundswell Report released in 2018, for example, projected that climate change could force 216 million people to move within their countries by 2050 to avoid the slow-onset impacts of climate change.

    A possible consequence of migration is the withdrawal of care support provided by the migrating extended kin, neighbours or friends, increasing the caregiving load of people left behind.

    In the case of forced displacements, the traditional social networks existing in communities are disrupted entirely.

    What’s needed

    There are compelling reasons to believe that meeting care needs can also help mitigate the effects of climate change. And actions to meet carbon-zero goals, prevent biodiversity loss and regenerate ecosystems can reduce the care work burden that falls heavily on families, communities and women.

    Any effort to tackle these grave problems should be comprehensive in scope and must be based on principles of equality, universality, and responsibility shared by all.

    This article is part of a series of articles initiated through a project led by the Southern Centre for Inequality studies, in collaboration with the International Development Research Centre and a group of feminist economists and climate scientists across the world.

    – Climate change is making it harder for people to get the care they need
    – https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-making-it-harder-for-people-to-get-the-care-they-need-240557

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Brics+ could shape a new world order, but it lacks shared values and a unified identity

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, Professor of International and Diplomacy Studies, Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa

    The last two summits of Brics countries have raised questions about the coalition’s identity and purpose. This began to come into focus at the summit hosted by South Africa in 2023, and more acutely at the recent 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia.

    At both events the alliance undertook to expand its membership. In 2023, the first five Brics members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – invited Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join. All bar Saudi Arabia have now done so. The 2024 summit pledged to admit 13 more, perhaps as associates or “partner countries”.

    On paper, the nine-member Brics+ strikes a powerful pose. It has a combined population of about 3.5 billion, or 45% of the world’s people. Combined, its economies are worth more than US$28.5 trillion – about 28% of the global economy. With Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as members, Brics+ produces about 44% of the world’s crude oil.

    Based on my research and policy advice to African foreign policy decision-makers, I would argue that there are three possible interpretations of the purpose of Brics+.

    • A club of self-interested members – a kind of global south cooperative. What I’d label as a self-help organisation.

    • A reforming bloc with a more ambitious goal of improving the workings of the current global order.

    • A disrupter, preparing to replace the western-dominated liberal world order.

    Analysing the commitments that were made at the meeting in Russia, I would argue that Brics+ sees itself more as a self-interested reformer. It represents the thinking among global south leaders about the nature of global order, and the possibilities of shaping a new order. This, as the world moves away from the financially dominant, yet declining western order (in terms of moral influence) led by the US. The move is to a multipolar order in which the east plays a leading role.

    Read more: Russia’s Brics summit shows determination for a new world order – but internal rifts will buy the west some time

    However, the ability of Brics+ to exploit such possibilities is constrained by its make-up and internal inconsistencies. These include a contested identity, incongruous values and lack of resources to convert political commitments into actionable plans.

    Summit outcomes

    The trend towards closer trade and financial cooperation and coordination stands out as a major achievement of the Kazan summit. Other achievements pertain to global governance and counter-terrorism.

    When it comes to trade and finance, the final communiqué said the following had been agreed:

    • adoption of local currencies in trade and financial transactions. The Kazan Declaration notes the benefits of faster, low cost, more efficient, transparent, safe and inclusive cross-border payment instruments. The guiding principle would be minimal trade barriers and non-discriminatory access.

    • establishment of a cross-border payment system. The declaration encourages correspondent banking networks within Brics, and enabling settlements in local currencies in line with the Brics Cross-Border Payments Initiative. This is voluntary and nonbinding and is to be discussed further.

    • creation of an enhanced roles for the New Development Bank, such as promoting infrastructure and sustainable development.

    • a proposed Brics Grain Exchange, to improve food security through enhanced trade in agricultural commodities.

    All nine Brics+ countries committed themselves to the principles of the UN Charter – peace and security, human rights, the rule of law, and development – primarily as a response to the western unilateral sanctions.

    Read more: South Africa walks a tightrope of international alliances – it needs Russia, China and the west

    The summit emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy should prevail over conflict in, among other places, the Middle East, Sudan, Haiti and Afghanistan.

    Faultlines and tensions

    Despite the positive tone of the Kazan declaration, there are serious structural fault lines and tensions inherent in the architecture and behaviour of Brics+. These might limit its ambitions to be a meaningful change agent.

    The members don’t even agree on the definition of Brics+. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa calls it a platform. Others talk of a group (Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi) or a family (Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jianan).

    So what could it be?

    Brics+ is state-driven – with civil society on the margins. It reminds one of the African Union, which pays lip service to citizens’ engagement in decision-making.

    One possibility is that it will evolve into an intergovernmental organisation with a constitution that sets up its agencies, functions and purposes. Examples include the World Health Organization, the African Development Bank and the UN general assembly.

    But it would need to cohere around shared values. What would they be?

    Critics point out that Brics+ consists of democracies (South Africa, Brazil, India), a theocracy (Iran), monarchies (UAE, Saudi Arabia) and authoritarian dictatorships (China, Russia). For South Africa this creates a domestic headache. At the Kazan summit, its president declared Russia a friend and ally. At home, its coalition partner in the government of national unity, the Democratic Alliance, declared Ukraine as a friend and ally.

    Read more: When two elephants fight: how the global south uses non-alignment to avoid great power rivalries

    There are also marked differences over issues such as the reform of the United Nations. For example, at the recent UN Summit of the Future the consensus was for reform of the UN security council. But will China and Russia, as permanent security council members, agree to more seats, with veto rights, on the council?

    As for violent conflict, humanitarian crises, corruption and crime, there is little from the Kazan summit that suggests agreement around action.

    Unity of purpose

    What about shared interests? A number of Brics+ members and the partner countries maintain close trade ties with the west, which regards Russia and Iran as enemies and China as a global threat.

    Some, such as India and South Africa, use the foreign policy notions of strategic ambiguity or active non-alignment to mask the reality of trading with east, west, north and south.

    The harsh truth of international relations is there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests. The Brics+ alliance will most likely cohere as a global south co-operative, with an innovative self-help agenda, but be reluctant to overturn the current global order from which it desires to benefit more equitably.

    Trade-offs and compromises might be necessary to ensure “unity of purpose”. It’s not clear that this loose alliance is close to being able to achieve that.

    – Brics+ could shape a new world order, but it lacks shared values and a unified identity
    – https://theconversation.com/brics-could-shape-a-new-world-order-but-it-lacks-shared-values-and-a-unified-identity-242308

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David Jackman, Departmental Lecturer in Development Studies, University of Oxford

    Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest reigning female political leader, fled Bangladesh on 5 August 2024 for the safety of India. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of protesters descended on Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. The crowds ransacked her official residence, occupied the nation’s parliament and burnt down her family home.

    Hasina, who had ruled the country for more than 20 years in total, had been widely accused of turning autocratic and clamping down severely on any opposition to her rule.

    For many, the Bangladesh revolution offers hope in the context of growing global authoritarianism. It illustrates the power of the youth to confront entrenched leaders, and the fragility of authoritarianism. It also highlights a striking feature of contemporary global politics: how central capital cities are to the political life of nations.

    In our new book, Controlling the Capital: Political Dominance in the Urbanizing World, a diverse range of scholars argue that capital cities are crucial political sites. They’re where governing elites seek to assert and maintain political control, and they are also stages for political contestation.

    The book is focused on sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the two fastest-urbanising regions of the world.

    Authors explore the strategies and tactics used by ruling elites to politically dominate their capital cities in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    The authors also consider how urban populations have engaged with these efforts. People may resist authority, but they can also cooperate with it in ways that benefit themselves – which sometimes reinforces or supports authoritarian control.

    This is increasingly important in the context of two contemporary trends. First, authoritarianism is growing globally. Just 10 years ago under half of the world’s population lived under authoritarian rule; now the figure is at 71%. The second trend is the ongoing rapid urbanisation of the world’s population, with the majority of us globally now living in urban areas.

    Urban unrest

    Over the past year we’ve seen how capital cities are spaces for contestation.

    Some pro-democracy movements draw from their own histories of struggle and the paths that have been carved by those before them. The template of Bangladesh’s 2024 revolution is ingrained in politics from the ways in which liberation was fought and how later struggles against authoritarian rule were won. The capital city has also been crucial, and students at Dhaka University were key mobilisers in such movements.

    In other contexts, the link between political resistance and urban areas is a relatively new and surprising route to political change. One example is “the struggle” seen in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo and the unseating of the Rajapaksa family, who were perceived as increasingly authoritarian rulers of the country. The Colombo chapter in this volume highlights how such protests emerged in a context where urban unrest had rarely threatened those in power before.

    Even where anti-authoritarian protests have proved futile time and again, urban populations rarely remain quiet.

    In Kampala, Uganda, demonstrations prior to the 2021 elections resulted in a horrifying government crackdown. Inspired by events in neighbouring Kenya, protesters took to the streets once more in July 2024 to demonstrate against corruption.

    Read more: Kenya’s protests happened in every major urban centre – why these spaces are explosive

    The protests that erupted in Nairobi from late June 2024 against tax rises engulfed the capital city. They continued for some time, fuelled by the brutal police response. Similarly, Nigeria’s 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality created a powerful movement in cities such as Abuja and Lagos which shook government, and resonated across much of the continent.

    In an age of social media, learning and mimicry across national borders is increasingly common. One of the defining images of Kenya’s 2024 urban uprising was of a group of men with their arms raised and crossed at the wrists – a gesture of anti-authoritarian protest that gained particular resonance several years back during neighbouring Ethiopia’s own uprising.

    As urban protest seems set to continue and spread – often taking intentionally similar forms – techniques of urban authoritarian control are more varied and complex.

    Strategies to dominate and control city populations can be dramatic and repressive – such as the brute force of police violence – and they can also be subtle, deeply ingrained, and sometimes difficult to discern.

    Authoritarian tactics

    Our book argues that authoritarian leaders are increasingly aware of the power of the urban masses. As a result, they are using a range of subtle, and not-so-subtle, tactics to entrench their domination in capital cities.

    We broadly described two types of interventions that elites use.

    The first are policies and favours that actively build support among urban groups. These can range from inclusion in political parties to investments in social provisions or infrastructure to win support. The book’s chapter on Addis Ababa shows how the latter were particularly striking under the previous governing regime in Ethiopia.

    The second are repressive interventions that aim to crush opposition. These are also diverse, and include violent crackdowns, but also surveillance and intimidation.

    In practice, the two types of interventions often overlap. The line also blurs through various forms of manipulation. For instance, misinformation or the delivery of goods in exchange for performances of political loyalty, underpinned by implicit threats of coercion.

    We also highlight the significance of urban geography.

    Ruling elites often seek to divide city populations (for example inner-city dwellers versus the peripheries). This is evident in our book’s chapter on Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Rajapaksas tried to consolidate power by appealing to the new middle class suburbanites through “beautification” projects. But these displaced and excluded the inner-city poor.

    Chapters on Harare and Kampala also show how particular peripheral areas have become central to efforts to build an urban support base by Zanu-PF and the National Resistance Movement. This often plays out through the informal parcelling out of land to supporters.

    Contesting autocratic rule

    Concerns about authoritarian politics are at an all-time high.

    The above Google Ngram highlights the perilous rise in the use of the term “autocratization” in published work over the past decade.

    Meanwhile, the contestation of autocratic rule will continue to erupt in cities, especially in rapidly urbanising parts of the world. In this context, the need to understand how autocracy and urbanisation collide could hardly be more important.

    If pro-democracy forces are to have any hope of prevailing against efforts by authoritarian ruling elites to entrench their position, there is a crucial need to better understand their urban strategies and tactics.

    – Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control
    – https://theconversation.com/autocrats-and-cities-how-capitals-have-become-a-battleground-for-protest-and-control-240377

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Helps Find Thawing Permafrost Adds to Near-Term Global Warming

    Source: NASA

    Earth’s far northern reaches have locked carbon underground for millennia. New research paints a picture of a landscape in change.
    A new study, co-authored by NASA scientists, details where and how greenhouse gases are escaping from the Earth’s vast northern permafrost region as the Arctic warms. The frozen soils encircling the Arctic from Alaska to Canada to Siberia store twice as much carbon as currently resides in the atmosphere — hundreds of billions of tons — and most of it has been buried for centuries.
    An international team, led by researchers at Stockholm University, found that from 2000 to 2020, carbon dioxide uptake by the land was largely offset by emissions from it. Overall, they concluded that the region has been a net contributor to global warming in recent decades in large part because of another greenhouse gas, methane, that is shorter-lived but traps significantly more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide.

    The findings reveal a landscape in flux, said Abhishek Chatterjee, a co-author and scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We know that the permafrost region has captured and stored carbon for tens of thousands of years,” he said. “But what we are finding now is that climate-driven changes are tipping the balance toward permafrost being a net source of greenhouse gas emissions.”
    Carbon Stockpile
    Permafrost is ground that has been permanently frozen for anywhere from two years to hundreds of thousands of years. A core of it reveals thick layers of icy soils enriched with dead plant and animal matter that can be dated using radiocarbon and other techniques. When permafrost thaws and decomposes, microbes feed on this organic carbon, releasing some of it as greenhouse gases.
    Unlocking a fraction of the carbon stored in permafrost could further fuel climate change. Temperatures in the Arctic are already warming two to four times faster than the global average, and scientists are learning how thawing permafrost is shifting the region from being a net sink for greenhouse gases to becoming a net source of warming.
    They’ve tracked emissions using ground-based instruments, aircraft, and satellites. One such campaign, NASA’s Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE), is focused on Alaska and western Canada. Yet locating and measuring emissions across the far northern fringes of Earth remains challenging. One obstacle is the vast scale and diversity of the environment, composed of evergreen forests, sprawling tundra, and waterways.

    Cracks in the Sink
    The new study was undertaken as part of the Global Carbon Project’s RECCAP-2 effort, which brings together different science teams, tools, and datasets to assess regional carbon balances every few years. The authors followed the trail of three greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide — across 7 million square miles (18 million square kilometers) of permafrost terrain from 2000 to 2020.
    Researchers found the region, especially the forests, took up a fraction more carbon dioxide than it released. This uptake was largely offset by carbon dioxide emitted from lakes and rivers, as well as from fires that burned both forest and tundra.
    They also found that the region’s lakes and wetlands were strong sources of methane during those two decades. Their waterlogged soils are low in oxygen while containing large volumes of dead vegetation and animal matter — ripe conditions for hungry microbes. Compared to carbon dioxide, methane can drive significant climate warming in short timescales before breaking down relatively quickly. Methane’s lifespan in the atmosphere is about 10 years, whereas carbon dioxide can last hundreds of years.
    The findings suggest the net change in greenhouse gases helped warm the planet over the 20-year period. But over a 100-year period, emissions and absorptions would mostly cancel each other out. In other words, the region teeters from carbon source to weak sink. The authors noted that events such as extreme wildfires and heat waves are major sources of uncertainty when projecting into the future.
    Bottom Up, Top Down
    The scientists used two main strategies to tally greenhouse gas emissions from the region. “Bottom-up” methods estimate emissions from ground- and air-based measurements and ecosystem models. Top-down methods use atmospheric measurements taken directly from satellite sensors, including those on NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) and JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite.
    Regarding near-term, 20-year, global warming potential, both scientific approaches aligned on the big picture but differed in magnitude: The bottom-up calculations indicated significantly more warming.
    “This study is one of the first where we are able to integrate different methods and datasets to put together this very comprehensive greenhouse gas budget into one report,” Chatterjee said. “It reveals a very complex picture.”
    News Media Contacts
    Jane J. Lee / Andrew WangJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-354-0307 / 626-379-6874jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov
    Written by Sally Younger
    2024-147

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Climate change is making it harder for people to get the care they need

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Maria S. Floro, Professor Emerita of Economics, American University

    The world is witnessing the consequences of climate change: long-lasting changes in temperature and rainfall, and more intense and frequent extreme weather events such as heat waves, hurricanes, typhoons, flooding and drought. All make it harder for families and communities to meet their care needs.

    Climate change affects care systems in various ways. First, sudden illnesses and unexpected disabilities heighten the need for care. Second, it reduces access to important inputs for care such as water, food and safe shelter. Third, it can damage physical and social care infrastructures.

    It can also lead to breakdowns of traditional units of caregiving such as households and communities. And it creates new situations of need with the increase in displaced person settlements and refugee camps.

    Climate change creates sudden spikes in the demand for care, and serious challenges to meeting the growing need for care. All this has immediate and long lasting effects on human well-being.

    The size of the current unmet care needs throughout the world is substantial. In childcare alone, about 23% of children worldwide – nearly 350 million – need childcare but do not have it. Families in low- and lower-middle-income countries are the most in need.

    Similarly, as the world’s population ages rapidly, only a small proportion of the elderly who need assistance are able to use formal care (in an institution or paid homecare). Most are cared for by family members or other unpaid caregivers. Much of this unpaid care and formal care work is provided by women and girls.

    Hundreds of millions of people around the world struggle to get healthcare. Expansion of access to essential health services has slowed compared to pre-2015 . And healthcare costs still create financial hardship.

    Without comprehensive public and global support for care provision and the integration of care in the climate agenda, unmet care needs will only grow and inequalities will widen.

    Impact

    Climate change interacts with human health in complex ways. Its impact is highly uneven across populations. It depends on geographical region, income, education, gender roles, social norms, level of development, and the institutional capacity and accessibility of health systems.

    In 2018-22, Africa experienced the biggest increase in the
    heat-related mortality rate since 2000-05    . This is not surprising as the continent has more frequent health-threatening temperatures than ever before and a growing population of people older than 65.

    Africa is also the region most affected by droughts in 2013-22, with 64% of its land area affected by at least one month of extreme drought per year on average. It was followed by Oceania (55% of its land area) and South and Central America (53%).

    Scientific evidence also points to increases in health inequalities caused by climate change. The health effects of climate change are not uniformly felt by different population groups.

    Exposure, severity of impact, and ability of individuals to recover depend on a variety of factors. Physiological characteristics, income, education, type of occupation, location, social norms and health systems are some of them.

    For example, older people and young children face the greatest health risks from high temperatures.

    There is also evidence of the disproportionate effect of climate change on the health of people living in poverty and those who belong to disadvantaged groups.

    Women of lower social and economic status and with less education are more vulnerable to heat stress compared to women in wealthier households and with higher education or social status. They are exposed to pollution in the absence of clean cooking fuel, and to extreme heat as they walk to gather water and fuel, or do other work outdoors.

    Bad sanitation in poor urban areas increases the incidence of water-borne diseases after heavy rains and floods.

    Lack of access to healthcare services and the means to pay for medicines make it difficult for women and men in low-income households to recover from illness, heat strokes, and air pollution-related ailments.

    Mental health problems are being attributed to climate change as well. Studies show that the loss of family or kin member, home, livelihood and a safe environment can bring about direct emotional impacts.

    These adverse impacts increase the demand for caregiving and the care workload. Climate-induced health problems force family and community caregivers, particularly women, to spend more time looking after the sick and disabled, particularly frail elderly people and children.

    Effect on food and water

    Climate change threatens the availability of food, clean water and safe shelter. It erodes households’ and communities’ care capacity and hence societies’ ability to thrive.

    Fluctuations in food supply and rising food prices as a result of environmental disasters, along with the inadequacy of government policies, underscore the mounting challenge of meeting food needs.

    The threat of chronic shortage of safe drinking water has also risen. Water scarcity is an area where structural inequalities and gender disparities are laid bare.

    Care for the sick and disabled, the young and the elderly is compromised when water is scarce.

    Effects on providing care

    Extreme weather events disrupt physical care infrastructures. It may be hard to reach hospitals, clinics, daycare centres, nursery schools and nursing homes. Some facilities may be damaged and have to close.

    Another type of care system that can break down is family networks and support provided by friends and neighbours. These informal care sharing arrangements are illustrated in a study of the three large informal settlements in Nairobi.

    About half (50.5%) of the sampled households reported having had a sick member in the two weeks before the survey. The majority relied on close friends and family members living nearby for care and support.

    Studies have shown that climate change eventually leads to livelihood loss and resource scarcity, which can weaken social cohesion and local safety nets in affected communities.

    Heightened risks and uncertainty and imminent changes in socio-economic and political conditions can also compel individuals or entire households to migrate. Migration is caused by a host of factors, but it has increasingly been a climate-related response.

    The World Bank’s Groundswell Report released in 2018, for example, projected that climate change could force 216 million people to move within their countries by 2050 to avoid the slow-onset impacts of climate change.

    A possible consequence of migration is the withdrawal of care support provided by the migrating extended kin, neighbours or friends, increasing the caregiving load of people left behind.

    In the case of forced displacements, the traditional social networks existing in communities are disrupted entirely.

    What’s needed

    There are compelling reasons to believe that meeting care needs can also help mitigate the effects of climate change. And actions to meet carbon-zero goals, prevent biodiversity loss and regenerate ecosystems can reduce the care work burden that falls heavily on families, communities and women.

    Any effort to tackle these grave problems should be comprehensive in scope and must be based on principles of equality, universality, and responsibility shared by all.

    This article is part of a series of articles initiated through a project led by the Southern Centre for Inequality studies, in collaboration with the International Development Research Centre and a group of feminist economists and climate scientists across the world.

    Maria S. Floro does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Climate change is making it harder for people to get the care they need – https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-making-it-harder-for-people-to-get-the-care-they-need-240557

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Brics+ could shape a new world order, but it lacks shared values and a unified identity

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, Professor of International and Diplomacy Studies, Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa

    The last two summits of Brics countries have raised questions about the coalition’s identity and purpose. This began to come into focus at the summit hosted by South Africa in 2023, and more acutely at the recent 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia.

    At both events the alliance undertook to expand its membership. In 2023, the first five Brics members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – invited Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join. All bar Saudi Arabia have now done so. The 2024 summit pledged to admit 13 more, perhaps as associates or “partner countries”.

    On paper, the nine-member Brics+ strikes a powerful pose. It has a combined population of about 3.5 billion, or 45% of the world’s people. Combined, its economies are worth more than US$28.5 trillion – about 28% of the global economy. With Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as members, Brics+ produces about 44% of the world’s crude oil.

    Based on my research and policy advice to African foreign policy decision-makers, I would argue that there are three possible interpretations of the purpose of Brics+.

    • A club of self-interested members – a kind of global south cooperative. What I’d label as a self-help organisation.

    • A reforming bloc with a more ambitious goal of improving the workings of the current global order.

    • A disrupter, preparing to replace the western-dominated liberal world order.

    Analysing the commitments that were made at the meeting in Russia, I would argue that Brics+ sees itself more as a self-interested reformer. It represents the thinking among global south leaders about the nature of global order, and the possibilities of shaping a new order. This, as the world moves away from the financially dominant, yet declining western order (in terms of moral influence) led by the US. The move is to a multipolar order in which the east plays a leading role.



    Read more:
    Russia’s Brics summit shows determination for a new world order – but internal rifts will buy the west some time

    However, the ability of Brics+ to exploit such possibilities is constrained by its make-up and internal inconsistencies. These include a contested identity, incongruous values and lack of resources to convert political commitments into actionable plans.

    Summit outcomes

    The trend towards closer trade and financial cooperation and coordination stands out as a major achievement of the Kazan summit. Other achievements pertain to global governance and counter-terrorism.

    When it comes to trade and finance, the final communiqué said the following had been agreed:

    • adoption of local currencies in trade and financial transactions. The Kazan Declaration notes the benefits of faster, low cost, more efficient, transparent, safe and inclusive cross-border payment instruments. The guiding principle would be minimal trade barriers and non-discriminatory access.

    • establishment of a cross-border payment system. The declaration encourages correspondent banking networks within Brics, and enabling settlements in local currencies in line with the Brics Cross-Border Payments Initiative. This is voluntary and nonbinding and is to be discussed further.

    • creation of an enhanced roles for the New Development Bank, such as promoting infrastructure and sustainable development.

    • a proposed Brics Grain Exchange, to improve food security through enhanced trade in agricultural commodities.

    All nine Brics+ countries committed themselves to the principles of the UN Charter – peace and security, human rights, the rule of law, and development – primarily as a response to the western unilateral sanctions.



    Read more:
    South Africa walks a tightrope of international alliances – it needs Russia, China and the west

    The summit emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy should prevail over conflict in, among other places, the Middle East, Sudan, Haiti and Afghanistan.

    Faultlines and tensions

    Despite the positive tone of the Kazan declaration, there are serious structural fault lines and tensions inherent in the architecture and behaviour of Brics+. These might limit its ambitions to be a meaningful change agent.

    The members don’t even agree on the definition of Brics+. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa calls it a platform. Others talk of a group (Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi) or a family (Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jianan).

    So what could it be?

    Brics+ is state-driven – with civil society on the margins. It reminds one of the African Union, which pays lip service to citizens’ engagement in decision-making.

    One possibility is that it will evolve into an intergovernmental organisation with a constitution that sets up its agencies, functions and purposes. Examples include the World Health Organization, the African Development Bank and the UN general assembly.

    But it would need to cohere around shared values. What would they be?

    Critics point out that Brics+ consists of democracies (South Africa, Brazil, India), a theocracy (Iran), monarchies (UAE, Saudi Arabia) and authoritarian dictatorships (China, Russia). For South Africa this creates a domestic headache. At the Kazan summit, its president declared Russia a friend and ally. At home, its coalition partner in the government of national unity, the Democratic Alliance, declared Ukraine as a friend and ally.



    Read more:
    When two elephants fight: how the global south uses non-alignment to avoid great power rivalries

    There are also marked differences over issues such as the reform of the United Nations. For example, at the recent UN Summit of the Future the consensus was for reform of the UN security council. But will China and Russia, as permanent security council members, agree to more seats, with veto rights, on the council?

    As for violent conflict, humanitarian crises, corruption and crime, there is little from the Kazan summit that suggests agreement around action.

    Unity of purpose

    What about shared interests? A number of Brics+ members and the partner countries maintain close trade ties with the west, which regards Russia and Iran as enemies and China as a global threat.

    Some, such as India and South Africa, use the foreign policy notions of strategic ambiguity or active non-alignment to mask the reality of trading with east, west, north and south.

    The harsh truth of international relations is there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests. The Brics+ alliance will most likely cohere as a global south co-operative, with an innovative self-help agenda, but be reluctant to overturn the current global order from which it desires to benefit more equitably.

    Trade-offs and compromises might be necessary to ensure “unity of purpose”. It’s not clear that this loose alliance is close to being able to achieve that.

    Anthoni van Nieuwkerk does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Brics+ could shape a new world order, but it lacks shared values and a unified identity – https://theconversation.com/brics-could-shape-a-new-world-order-but-it-lacks-shared-values-and-a-unified-identity-242308

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David Jackman, Departmental Lecturer in Development Studies, University of Oxford

    Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest reigning female political leader, fled Bangladesh on 5 August 2024 for the safety of India. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of protesters descended on Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. The crowds ransacked her official residence, occupied the nation’s parliament and burnt down her family home.

    Hasina, who had ruled the country for more than 20 years in total, had been widely accused of turning autocratic and clamping down severely on any opposition to her rule.

    For many, the Bangladesh revolution offers hope in the context of growing global authoritarianism. It illustrates the power of the youth to confront entrenched leaders, and the fragility of authoritarianism. It also highlights a striking feature of contemporary global politics: how central capital cities are to the political life of nations.

    In our new book, Controlling the Capital: Political Dominance in the Urbanizing World, a diverse range of scholars argue that capital cities are crucial political sites. They’re where governing elites seek to assert and maintain political control, and they are also stages for political contestation.

    The book is focused on sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the two fastest-urbanising regions of the world.

    Authors explore the strategies and tactics used by ruling elites to politically dominate their capital cities in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    The authors also consider how urban populations have engaged with these efforts. People may resist authority, but they can also cooperate with it in ways that benefit themselves – which sometimes reinforces or supports authoritarian control.

    This is increasingly important in the context of two contemporary trends. First, authoritarianism is growing globally. Just 10 years ago under half of the world’s population lived under authoritarian rule; now the figure is at 71%. The second trend is the ongoing rapid urbanisation of the world’s population, with the majority of us globally now living in urban areas.

    Urban unrest

    Over the past year we’ve seen how capital cities are spaces for contestation.

    Some pro-democracy movements draw from their own histories of struggle and the paths that have been carved by those before them. The template of Bangladesh’s 2024 revolution is ingrained in politics from the ways in which liberation was fought and how later struggles against authoritarian rule were won. The capital city has also been crucial, and students at Dhaka University were key mobilisers in such movements.

    In other contexts, the link between political resistance and urban areas is a relatively new and surprising route to political change. One example is “the struggle” seen in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo and the unseating of the Rajapaksa family, who were perceived as increasingly authoritarian rulers of the country. The Colombo chapter in this volume highlights how such protests emerged in a context where urban unrest had rarely threatened those in power before.

    Even where anti-authoritarian protests have proved futile time and again, urban populations rarely remain quiet.

    In Kampala, Uganda, demonstrations prior to the 2021 elections resulted in a horrifying government crackdown. Inspired by events in neighbouring Kenya, protesters took to the streets once more in July 2024 to demonstrate against corruption.



    Read more:
    Kenya’s protests happened in every major urban centre – why these spaces are explosive

    The protests that erupted in Nairobi from late June 2024 against tax rises engulfed the capital city. They continued for some time, fuelled by the brutal police response. Similarly, Nigeria’s 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality created a powerful movement in cities such as Abuja and Lagos which shook government, and resonated across much of the continent.

    In an age of social media, learning and mimicry across national borders is increasingly common. One of the defining images of Kenya’s 2024 urban uprising was of a group of men with their arms raised and crossed at the wrists – a gesture of anti-authoritarian protest that gained particular resonance several years back during neighbouring Ethiopia’s own uprising.

    As urban protest seems set to continue and spread – often taking intentionally similar forms – techniques of urban authoritarian control are more varied and complex.

    Strategies to dominate and control city populations can be dramatic and repressive – such as the brute force of police violence – and they can also be subtle, deeply ingrained, and sometimes difficult to discern.

    Authoritarian tactics

    Our book argues that authoritarian leaders are increasingly aware of the power of the urban masses. As a result, they are using a range of subtle, and not-so-subtle, tactics to entrench their domination in capital cities.

    We broadly described two types of interventions that elites use.

    The first are policies and favours that actively build support among urban groups. These can range from inclusion in political parties to investments in social provisions or infrastructure to win support. The book’s chapter on Addis Ababa shows how the latter were particularly striking under the previous governing regime in Ethiopia.

    The second are repressive interventions that aim to crush opposition. These are also diverse, and include violent crackdowns, but also surveillance and intimidation.

    In practice, the two types of interventions often overlap. The line also blurs through various forms of manipulation. For instance, misinformation or the delivery of goods in exchange for performances of political loyalty, underpinned by implicit threats of coercion.

    We also highlight the significance of urban geography.

    Ruling elites often seek to divide city populations (for example inner-city dwellers versus the peripheries). This is evident in our book’s chapter on Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Rajapaksas tried to consolidate power by appealing to the new middle class suburbanites through “beautification” projects. But these displaced and excluded the inner-city poor.

    Chapters on Harare and Kampala also show how particular peripheral areas have become central to efforts to build an urban support base by Zanu-PF and the National Resistance Movement. This often plays out through the informal parcelling out of land to supporters.

    Contesting autocratic rule

    Concerns about authoritarian politics are at an all-time high.

    The above Google Ngram highlights the perilous rise in the use of the term “autocratization” in published work over the past decade.

    Meanwhile, the contestation of autocratic rule will continue to erupt in cities, especially in rapidly urbanising parts of the world. In this context, the need to understand how autocracy and urbanisation collide could hardly be more important.

    If pro-democracy forces are to have any hope of prevailing against efforts by authoritarian ruling elites to entrench their position, there is a crucial need to better understand their urban strategies and tactics.

    David Jackman received funding from the Leverhulme Trust.

    Tom Goodfellow is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which funded part of the research on which this book is based.

    – ref. Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control – https://theconversation.com/autocrats-and-cities-how-capitals-have-become-a-battleground-for-protest-and-control-240377

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Entrepreneurs need meta-competencies that help them adapt to new conditions”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Photo: TASS

    Entrepreneurs lack the knowledge to run a successful business, and they are willing to pay for their education. It is important that they have access to verified content. At the same time, only those programs that adapt content to new challenges while maintaining high educational standards, as is the case at HSE, can be in demand.

    A press conference was held at TASS, where the results of the PRIM sociological study (“Entrepreneurs of Russia: Research Monitoring”) for the first nine months of 2024 were presented.

    This study is regularly conducted by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development together with Sber and the Public Opinion Foundation. The quarterly survey involves 600 active entrepreneurs, 600 self-employed individuals and 2,200 other respondents. The emphasis is on the entrepreneur’s personality – their moods and expectations, problems and needs. This time, the experts focused on business education.

    According to Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Tatyana Ilyushnikova, the business education market in Russia is growing and is expected to exceed 100 billion rubles by the end of the year. Almost 80% of the entrepreneurs surveyed note that they lack the knowledge to run a business, and 40% of those surveyed have undergone training in the last three years or are currently undergoing it. This is not about classical education in the generally accepted sense, but about short training formats.

    They are offered, in particular, within the framework of the flagship project “My Business”, created under the auspices of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and successfully competing with market platforms. “It is important for entrepreneurs to receive information from verified sources, which is a guarantee of its quality,” emphasized Tatyana Ilyushnikova.

    The study showed that entrepreneurs prefer flexible training formats — webinars with the possibility of feedback, text materials that can be studied at a convenient pace, video lectures. “Although educational tracks are provided free of charge in the state support system, 75% of entrepreneurs are ready to pay more than 20 thousand rubles a month for the necessary knowledge,” the deputy minister said.

    Deputy Chairman of the Board of Sberbank Anatoly Popov added that young entrepreneurs are more actively seeking knowledge than their experienced colleagues. In-person training is also in demand, as it expands the opportunities for networking. The survey showed that 71% of those who completed the training noted improvements in their business.

    Alexander Lind, CEO of the educational platform Lerna.ru, emphasized that small businesses are focused on quickly learning specific skills, while large businesses invest in long-term educational programs in fundamental areas.

    Natalia Ababiy, Managing Partner of the online platform Distant Global, said that meetings with real entrepreneurs who talk about their experiences are of particular interest.

    Roman Levkovich, Director of Public Relations at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, emphasized the importance of the brand of providers of training programs for entrepreneurs, be it the My Business project or leading universities. He also confirmed the growing need for business education using the example of the National Research University Higher School of Economics: “One of the leaders in business education in Russia — Higher School of Business “We see double-digit growth every year, and over the last year the number of MBA students has grown by 50%.”

    According to Roman Levkovich, entrepreneurs need not only solid knowledge, but also meta-competences that help them adapt to new conditions. They also need to master modern digital technologies. “Only those programs that adapt content to new challenges while maintaining high educational standards can be in demand,” says the HSE Public Relations Director.

    One of these challenges is the introduction of AI and other digital tools: HSE has continuing education programs that teach entrepreneurs how to use them. Another challenge is the changing geopolitical situation associated with the turn to the East, and the university is implementing programs that help build successful businesses with China and other Eastern countries. A number of continuing education programs are being created together with businesses, including a joint intensive course “Scaler» for top managers of small technology companies.

    According to Roman Levkovich, HSE is seriously investing in the development of DPO. Created marketplace — a catalog of DPO programs, where you can not only choose a program, but also pay for it, and after training receive a certificate (which, however, does not exclude the possibility of a personal visit to the university for a consultation on choosing a program). From November 14 to 16, the HSE will host the 1st Moscow DPO Forum “Challenges of digitalization and new university solutions“.

    The HSE Public Relations Director noted that it is the university that determines the professions and business areas that will be in demand in the future. He also described the university as an environment of like-minded people, where leaders of the entrepreneurial community can communicate with their peers — not just exchange experiences, but also adopt competencies from colleagues with whom they study. “When you come to an advanced university, you can be sure that you will be taught advanced skills that will be in demand in the near and distant future,” concluded Roman Levkovich.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Jackman, Departmental Lecturer in Development Studies, University of Oxford

    Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest reigning female political leader, fled Bangladesh on 5 August 2024 for the safety of India. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of protesters descended on Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. The crowds ransacked her official residence, occupied the nation’s parliament and burnt down her family home.

    Hasina, who had ruled the country for more than 20 years in total, had been widely accused of turning autocratic and clamping down severely on any opposition to her rule.

    For many, the Bangladesh revolution offers hope in the context of growing global authoritarianism. It illustrates the power of the youth to confront entrenched leaders, and the fragility of authoritarianism. It also highlights a striking feature of contemporary global politics: how central capital cities are to the political life of nations.

    In our new book, Controlling the Capital: Political Dominance in the Urbanizing World, a diverse range of scholars argue that capital cities are crucial political sites. They’re where governing elites seek to assert and maintain political control, and they are also stages for political contestation.

    The book is focused on sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the two fastest-urbanising regions of the world.

    Authors explore the strategies and tactics used by ruling elites to politically dominate their capital cities in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    The authors also consider how urban populations have engaged with these efforts. People may resist authority, but they can also cooperate with it in ways that benefit themselves – which sometimes reinforces or supports authoritarian control.

    This is increasingly important in the context of two contemporary trends. First, authoritarianism is growing globally. Just 10 years ago under half of the world’s population lived under authoritarian rule; now the figure is at 71%. The second trend is the ongoing rapid urbanisation of the world’s population, with the majority of us globally now living in urban areas.

    Urban unrest

    Over the past year we’ve seen how capital cities are spaces for contestation.

    Some pro-democracy movements draw from their own histories of struggle and the paths that have been carved by those before them. The template of Bangladesh’s 2024 revolution is ingrained in politics from the ways in which liberation was fought and how later struggles against authoritarian rule were won. The capital city has also been crucial, and students at Dhaka University were key mobilisers in such movements.

    In other contexts, the link between political resistance and urban areas is a relatively new and surprising route to political change. One example is “the struggle” seen in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo and the unseating of the Rajapaksa family, who were perceived as increasingly authoritarian rulers of the country. The Colombo chapter in this volume highlights how such protests emerged in a context where urban unrest had rarely threatened those in power before.

    Even where anti-authoritarian protests have proved futile time and again, urban populations rarely remain quiet.

    In Kampala, Uganda, demonstrations prior to the 2021 elections resulted in a horrifying government crackdown. Inspired by events in neighbouring Kenya, protesters took to the streets once more in July 2024 to demonstrate against corruption.



    Read more:
    Kenya’s protests happened in every major urban centre – why these spaces are explosive

    The protests that erupted in Nairobi from late June 2024 against tax rises engulfed the capital city. They continued for some time, fuelled by the brutal police response. Similarly, Nigeria’s 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality created a powerful movement in cities such as Abuja and Lagos which shook government, and resonated across much of the continent.

    In an age of social media, learning and mimicry across national borders is increasingly common. One of the defining images of Kenya’s 2024 urban uprising was of a group of men with their arms raised and crossed at the wrists – a gesture of anti-authoritarian protest that gained particular resonance several years back during neighbouring Ethiopia’s own uprising.

    As urban protest seems set to continue and spread – often taking intentionally similar forms – techniques of urban authoritarian control are more varied and complex.

    Strategies to dominate and control city populations can be dramatic and repressive – such as the brute force of police violence – and they can also be subtle, deeply ingrained, and sometimes difficult to discern.

    Authoritarian tactics

    Our book argues that authoritarian leaders are increasingly aware of the power of the urban masses. As a result, they are using a range of subtle, and not-so-subtle, tactics to entrench their domination in capital cities.

    We broadly described two types of interventions that elites use.

    The first are policies and favours that actively build support among urban groups. These can range from inclusion in political parties to investments in social provisions or infrastructure to win support. The book’s chapter on Addis Ababa shows how the latter were particularly striking under the previous governing regime in Ethiopia.

    The second are repressive interventions that aim to crush opposition. These are also diverse, and include violent crackdowns, but also surveillance and intimidation.

    In practice, the two types of interventions often overlap. The line also blurs through various forms of manipulation. For instance, misinformation or the delivery of goods in exchange for performances of political loyalty, underpinned by implicit threats of coercion.

    We also highlight the significance of urban geography.

    Ruling elites often seek to divide city populations (for example inner-city dwellers versus the peripheries). This is evident in our book’s chapter on Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Rajapaksas tried to consolidate power by appealing to the new middle class suburbanites through “beautification” projects. But these displaced and excluded the inner-city poor.

    Chapters on Harare and Kampala also show how particular peripheral areas have become central to efforts to build an urban support base by Zanu-PF and the National Resistance Movement. This often plays out through the informal parcelling out of land to supporters.

    Contesting autocratic rule

    Concerns about authoritarian politics are at an all-time high.

    The above Google Ngram highlights the perilous rise in the use of the term “autocratization” in published work over the past decade.

    Meanwhile, the contestation of autocratic rule will continue to erupt in cities, especially in rapidly urbanising parts of the world. In this context, the need to understand how autocracy and urbanisation collide could hardly be more important.

    If pro-democracy forces are to have any hope of prevailing against efforts by authoritarian ruling elites to entrench their position, there is a crucial need to better understand their urban strategies and tactics.

    David Jackman received funding from the Leverhulme Trust.

    Tom Goodfellow is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which funded part of the research on which this book is based.

    – ref. Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control – https://theconversation.com/autocrats-and-cities-how-capitals-have-become-a-battleground-for-protest-and-control-240377

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Amid the West’s wavering aid to Ukraine, North Korea backs Russia in a mutually beneficial move

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently accused North Korea of plans to send 10,000 soldiers to fight for Russia in Ukraine. South Korean intelligence later gave credence to Zelenskyy’s assertion, as the country’s legislators noted that North Korea has already dispatched 3,000 soldiers to Russia.

    North Korea lending a helping hand to Russia is nothing new. The country has already provided Russia with significant munitions to supplement its depleted reserves. North Korean soldiers, in fact, are likely already fighting in the conflict.

    North Korea’s alleged decision to send additional soldiers to fight demonstrates the inadequacy of the West’s actions. Wavering western commitment to Ukraine has not only made the situation in Ukraine worse, it’s compromised global security too.



    Read more:
    Kim Jong-un sends North Korean troops to fight in Ukraine – here’s what this means for the war

    Immediate benefits for Russia

    Each side in the Russia-Ukraine conflict is seeking any and all assistance from its allies. In Russia’s case, western efforts to make Russian President Vladimir Putin a pariah caused him to turn to another pariah in the international order: North Korea.

    Russian-North Korean diplomatic relations are longstanding. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Boris Yeltsin initially favoured relations with South Korea over its northern counterpart. But since Putin assumed power in 2000, Russia has strengthened its ties with North Korea, albeit with a few notable exceptions.

    Russia has always been the dominant partner in the relationship. North Korea, however, has leveraged Russia’s diplomatic isolation for its own benefit. This explains why it’s providing soldiers to Russia on a scale that helps address the most immediate Russian concern: lessening the burden on its population.

    Russia has employed mass mobilization in the conflict, but it has sought to push this burden onto the ethnic minorities and rural population of the country.

    The protracted nature of the conflict, however, means that it’s increasingly difficult for Russia to disproportionately mobilize these elements. The more Putin’s government relies on ethnic Russians from the larger cities of the country, the more it puts his position under strain. Ten thousand North Korean soldiers will help alleviate this issue in the short term.



    Read more:
    Russians flee the draft as the reality of the war in Ukraine hits home

    Benefits for North Korea

    Despite North Korea’s diplomatic connections with Russia, it remains one of the world’s most isolated countries.

    North Korea’s closest relationship is with China, which is both a blessing and a curse — a blessing because China, for its own reasons, frequently provides diplomatic cover for North Korean actions; a curse because it puts North Korea at risk of becoming dependent on China, even though their objectives do not often align.

    North Korea’s deepening alliance with Russia is reminiscent of its strategy during the Cold War, when it maintained strong relations with both the Soviet Union and China to prevent itself from being subsumed by either.

    North Korea will also receive substantive benefits from its alliance with Russia. An endemic problem for North Korea is food shortages. During the 1990s, as many as three million people died from starvation.

    There is evidence North Korea faced famine conditions as recently as 2023. Russia’s delivery of almost 500 goats to North Korea in what’s been dubbed a “goats for guns” exchange addresses a pressing need for North Koreans.

    North Korean participation in the Russia-Ukraine war also gives the country opportunities to access Russian military training. While western analysts have criticized Russia’s military performance in terms of training and doctrine, it still represents a substantial upgrade for North Korea. Furthermore, there is no substitute for the live experience North Korean soldiers will amass on the battlefield.



    Read more:
    3 ways Russia has shown military ‘incompetence’ during its invasion of Ukraine

    Perhaps more worrisome is potential Russian aid for North Korea’s missile program. As one of the world’s nuclear powers, North Korea has lagged in its ability to deploy nuclear weapons, with its ballistic missile tests frequently ending in malfunctions, disasters or both.

    While Russian missile technology has its own limitations, it is still significantly beyond North Korea’s current capabilities.

    Given the pressure that North Korea has been able to exert with its missile tests alone in recent years, any improvement in its capabilities has the potential to destabilize the Asia-Pacific region.

    Global consequences for western inaction

    Russia’s need for North Korean support will undoubtedly improve North Korea’s military technology, as well as provide its army with valuable military experience.

    North Korea has in the past — and will likely in the future — stoke instability in the Asia-Pacific region. The gains North Korea has made from its partnership with Russia will only increase its ability to pose a threat in the region.

    It should not be a shocking development that North Korea provided Russia with soldiers. Instead, what should be controversial is how the West’s wavering support of Ukraine and delays in providing meaningful aid have resulted in a protracted conflict that gave Russia the time to muster resources, like North Korean soldiers, for the conflict.

    Western states, in so doing, not only put Ukraine in a disadvantageous position, but weakened their own security as well.

    James Horncastle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Amid the West’s wavering aid to Ukraine, North Korea backs Russia in a mutually beneficial move – https://theconversation.com/amid-the-wests-wavering-aid-to-ukraine-north-korea-backs-russia-in-a-mutually-beneficial-move-241970

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: How NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Could Decipher the Moon’s Icy Secrets

    Source: NASA

    There’s water on the Moon, but scientists only have a general idea of where it is and what form it is in. A trailblazing NASA mission will get some answers.
    When NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer begins orbiting the Moon next year, it will help resolve an enduring mystery: Where is the Moon’s water? Scientists have seen signs suggesting it exists even where temperatures soar on the lunar surface, and there’s good reason to believe it can be found as surface ice in permanently shadowed craters, places that have not seen direct sunlight for billions of years. But, so far, there have been few definitive answers, and a full understanding of the nature of the Moon’s water cycle remains stubbornly out of reach.
    This is where Lunar Trailblazer comes in. Managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and led by Caltech in Pasadena, California, the small satellite will map the Moon’s surface water in unprecedented detail to determine the water’s abundance, location, form, and how it changes over time.
    “Making high-resolution measurements of the type and amount of lunar water will help us understand the lunar water cycle, and it will provide clues to other questions, like how and when did Earth get its water,” said Bethany Ehlmann, principal investigator for Lunar Trailblazer at Caltech. “But understanding the inventory of lunar water is also important if we are to establish a sustained human and robotic presence on the Moon and beyond.”
    Future explorers could process lunar ice to create breathable oxygen or even fuel. And they could also conduct science. Using information from Lunar Trailblazer, future human or robotic scientific investigations could sample the ice for later study to determine where the water came from. For example, the presence of ammonia in ice samples may indicate the water came from comets; sulfur, on the other hand, could show that it was vented to the surface from the lunar interior when the Moon was young and volcanically active.

    “In the future, scientists could analyze the ice in the interiors of permanently shadowed craters to learn more about the origins of water on the Moon,” said Rachel Klima, Lunar Trailblazer deputy principal investigator at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. “Like an ice core from a glacier on Earth can reveal the ancient history of our planet’s atmospheric composition, this pristine lunar ice could provide clues as to where that water came from and how and when it got there.”
    Understanding whether water molecules move freely across the surface of the Moon or are locked inside rock is also scientifically important. Water molecules could move from frosty “cold traps” to other locations throughout the lunar day. Frost heated by the Sun sublimates (turning from solid ice to a gas without going through a liquid phase), allowing the molecules to move as a gas to other cold locations, where they could form new frost as the Sun moves overhead. Knowing how water moves on the Moon could also lead to new insights into the water cycles on other airless bodies, such as asteroids
    Two Instruments, One Mission
    Two science instruments aboard the spacecraft will help unlock these secrets: the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3) infrared spectrometer and the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) infrared multispectral imager.
    Developed by JPL, HVM3 will detect and map the spectral fingerprints, or wavelengths of reflected sunlight, of minerals and the different forms of water on the lunar surface. The spectrometer can use faint reflected light from the walls of craters to see the floor of even permanently shadowed craters.
    The LTM instrument, which was built by the University of Oxford and funded by the UK Space Agency, will map the minerals and thermal properties of the same lunar landscape. Together they will create a picture of the abundance, location, and form of water while also tracking how its distribution changes over time.
    “The LTM instrument precisely maps the surface temperature of the Moon while the HVM3 instrument looks for the spectral signature of water molecules,” said Neil Bowles, instrument scientist for LTM at the University of Oxford. “Both instruments will allow us to understand how surface temperature affects water, improving our knowledge of the presence and distribution of these molecules on the Moon.”
    Weighing only 440 pounds (200 kilograms) and measuring 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) wide when its solar panels are fully deployed, Lunar Trailblazer will orbit the Moon about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the surface. The mission was selected by NASA’s SIMPLEx (Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration) program in 2019 and will hitch a ride on the same launch as the Intuitive Machines-2 delivery to the Moon through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. Lunar Trailblazer passed a critical operational readiness review in early October at Caltech after completing environmental testing in August at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, where it was assembled.
    The orbiter and its science instruments are now being put through flight system software tests that simulate key aspects of launch, maneuvers, and the science mission while in orbit around the Moon. At the same time, the operations team led by IPAC at Caltech is conducting tests to simulate commanding, communication with NASA’s Deep Space Network, and navigation.
    More About Lunar Trailblazer
    Lunar Trailblazer is managed by JPL, and its science investigation and mission operations are led by Caltech with the mission operations center at IPAC. Managed for NASA by Caltech, JPL also provides system engineering, mission assurance, the HVM3 instrument, as well as mission design and navigation. Lockheed Martin Space provides the spacecraft, integrates the flight system, and supports operations under contract with Caltech.
    SIMPLEx mission investigations are managed by the Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, as part of the Discovery Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The program conducts space science investigations in the Planetary Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.
    For more information about Lunar Trailblazer, visit:
    https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/lunar-trailblazer
    News Media Contacts
    Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
    Ian J. O’NeillJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-354-2649ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov
    Gordon SquiresIPAC, Pasadena, Calif.626-395-3121squires@ipac.caltech.edu
    2024-148

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: On Students’ Day, Dmitry Chernyshenko and Mikhail Degtyarev spoke about the development of youth sports

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev congratulated students on the holiday and summed up the development of student sports in the country. In 2024, the number of students regularly involved in physical education and sports exceeded 3.8 million people. At the all-Russian level, 140 official sports events were held among students in 65 sports.

    “Student sports are the most important element of our country’s youth policy. As Russian President Vladimir Putin noted, Students’ Day is a holiday not only for students, but for the entire country. In 2024, we managed to significantly strengthen the infrastructure of student sports: the number of sports clubs doubled and reached 2.5 thousand, and student sports leagues cover all key areas of physical training. Thanks to this, the number of students regularly involved in physical education and sports exceeded 3.8 million people – 67% of the number of full-time students,” Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized.

    During the week of Student Day, events are held across the country as part of the All-Russian Student Festival “Sports Student Night”. Thousands of young people participate in the competitions: competitions are held on skating rinks, stadiums, swimming pools and sports halls. In addition to the competitions, competitions are held among sports communities and fan groups.

    “In 2025, students will be able to attend such large-scale sporting events as the All-Russian Winter Festival of Mass Sports in Krasnoyarsk, the XXVII All-Russian Festival of Physical Education University Students with International Participation in Volgograd, the XV All-Russian Festival of Student Sports in Ulyanovsk, the All-Russian Forum of Student Sports Clubs and others,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

    The development of student sports is one of the instructions of the President of Russia, recalled in turn the Minister of Sports Mikhail Degtyarev.

    “The head of state set the task of maintaining a high level of sports events and involving young people in physical activity. In 2024, 140 official sports events among students in 65 sports were held at the all-Russian level. We continue to strengthen the traditions of student sports and create new opportunities for self-realization of young athletes,” he emphasized.

    The head of the department noted that student sports play an important role in the education system.

    “Universities and colleges not only provide academic knowledge, but by involving millions of students in regular training, they form sports habits in young people, which then help many in life,” he said. “In addition, we actively support scientific and educational initiatives in the field of sports: in 2024, nine scientific conferences were held on this topic, and the XI All-Russian Forum “Current Issues in the Development of Student Sports” generally defined the development strategy for this area until 2030.”

    In addition, Russian students are actively involved in the volunteer movement. In particular, more than 60 students from the Kuban University of Physical Education, Sports and Tourism, subordinate to the Ministry of Sports, are currently working on the beaches of Anapa: cleaning sand contaminated with fuel oil, taking part in cleaning birds from fuel oil and building a shelter for injured animals, the Minister of Sports said.

    The Russian Student Sports Union plays a key role in the development of student sports. In 2024, it was headed by Sergey Kryukov, who was supported by the Russian Ministry of Sports. Among other things, its special task will be the development of the voluntary sports society “Burevestnik”, which should find new life in modern student sports.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casey Announces $6.8 Million for Penn State Rail Research to Improve Railway Safety and Reliability

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey

    Federal funding will support research to improve railroads’ safety, efficiency, reliability

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey announced that Penn State University is receiving $6,877,761 in new, competitive grant funding to research and develop technologies that improve railroads in rural areas. This federal funding comes from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program and will establish a rail research center to develop ways to improve railroad safety, efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. Technologies developed through this research initiative will improve railroads across the Commonwealth.

    “Ensuring Pennsylvania’s railroads are safe, efficient, and reliable is critical to keeping our Commonwealth fully connected and running full steam ahead,” said Senator Casey. “This funding will support critical research efforts to modernize our railroads and continue delivering transportation service across the Commonwealth.”

    The Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program is a federal grant program that provides funding for projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: How Copilots are helping drive innovation to achieve business results that matter

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: How Copilots are helping drive innovation to achieve business results that matter

    The pace of AI innovation today continues to be extraordinary, and at Microsoft we are focused on helping organizations embrace it. By providing our customers with the most advanced AI technology across every product we build — combined with our unparalleled partner ecosystem and co-innovation approach — we are helping them make real progress in ways that matter. I am proud to share over 100 customer stories from this quarter alone showing how we are helping customers accelerate AI Transformation — no matter where they are on their journey.

    Recently during the Microsoft AI Tour, I spoke with customers who shared ways they are adopting Copilots to empower human achievement, democratize intelligence and realize significant business value. I also discussed the concept of an AI-first business process and the differentiation you can drive when bringing together the power of Copilots and human ambition with the autonomous capabilities of an agent. I was inspired by the outcomes our customers have achieved through pragmatic innovation and the progress they are making to evolve the future of industry. I am pleased to share ten stories from the past quarter that illustrate how Copilots have yielded results for our customers, while highlighting AI Transformation experiences in their own words.

    Accenture and Avanade have a long history of helping customers implement cutting-edge solutions, with internal testing a key factor in their ability to deliver customizable Microsoft solutions with deep expertise. Putting Microsoft 365 Copilot into the hands of employees helped them realize ways to increase productivity, with 52% of employees seeing a positive impact on the quality of their work, 31% reporting less cognitive fatigue and 84% finding Copilot’s suggestions fair, respectful and non-biased. Accenture also piloted GitHub Copilot to help build better solutions faster with developers spending less time debugging, resulting in 95% of developers reporting they enjoyed coding more.

    “Using our extensive Microsoft technology expertise and practical learnings from our own experience implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot, our solutions empower clients to fully tap into Microsoft AI capabilities.”

    Veit Siegenheim, Global Future of Work Lead at Avanade

    Nigerian multinational financial services group Access Holdings Plc. serves more than 56 million customers across 18 countries. As the business grew and transitioned from a small bank to a major holding company, it adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to address challenges in data management, meeting productivity and software development. With the integration of Copilot into daily tools, the company significantly enhanced efficiency and engagement across the business. Writing code now takes two hours instead of eight, chatbots can be launched in 10 days instead of three months and presentations can be prepared in 45 minutes instead of six hours. Copilot has also driven a 25% increase in staff engagement during meetings.

    “To inspire everyone in the organization to take advantage of AI, we knew we had to integrate AI into the tools people use every day. Microsoft 365 Copilot made the most sense and was a natural fit for us.”

    Lanre Bamisebi, Executive Director IT and Digitalization at Access Holdings, Plc.

    To improve resident services and reinvent customer engagement, the City of Burlington, Ontario, embraced AI and low-code tools to develop new online services that transform and automate internal processes. In just eight weeks, the city utilized Copilot Studio to develop and launch a custom copilot designed to help residents quickly find answers to frequently asked questions. The city also developed a portal that streamlines building permit reviews and enables customers to track the status of their own applications. As a result, the average time it takes to process a permit approval decreased from 15 weeks to 5-7 weeks, allowing more time for city employees to evaluate complex submissions.

    “Our staff and citizens do not have to worry about mundane tasks as much anymore. Now they’re able to have rich, collaborative conversations about how to creatively solve problems, making for a much more fulfilling and rewarding work and customer experience.”

    Chad MacDonald, Executive Director and Chief Information Officer at the City of Burlington

    Finastra empowers financial institutions with leading software for lending, payments, treasury, capital markets and universal banking. To transform its marketing processes, the company used Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate tasks, enhance content creation, improve analytics and personalize customer interactions. Since integrating Copilot, the team reduced time-to-market for campaigns from three months to less than one. Copilot also significantly reduced the time marketers spend generating and gathering insights from each campaign, with employees citing a 20%-50% time savings across tasks like full-funnel analysis, supply management analysis and budget management.

    “Copilot makes you more effective because you get better insights, and it makes you more efficient because you can produce results faster. It also makes work more meaningful and fun because your team can focus on what matters — strategy, creativity and everything that sets you apart from the competition.”

    Joerg Klueckmann, Head of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Finastra

    GoTo Group provides technology infrastructure and solutions across Indonesia. It is bending the curve on innovation by significantly enhancing productivity and code quality across its engineering teams by adopting GitHub Copilot. With real-time code suggestions, chat assistance and the ability to break down complex coding concepts, the company has saved over seven hours per week and achieved a 30% code acceptance rate within the first month. With 1,000 engineers already using GitHub Copilot, the tool allows them to innovate faster, reduce errors and focus more time on complex tasks to deliver greater value to their users.

    “GitHub Copilot has significantly reduced syntax errors and provided helpful autocomplete features, eliminating repetitive tasks and making coding more efficient. This has allowed me to focus on the more complex elements in building great software.”

    Nayana Hodi, Engineering Manager at GoTo Group

    South Africa’s Milpark Education faced operational challenges when shifting to online learning due to legacy systems slowing down student interactions and support. Through close collaboration with Enterprisecloud, Milpark migrated its back-office infrastructure to Azure within three months, replacing its legacy student admissions system with an extensible, integrated digital platform powered by technologies such as Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Studio. In just four months, the educational institution improved efficiency and accuracy of student support, decreasing the average resolution time by 50% and escalations by more than 30%.

    “Using Copilot, agents are now able to use generative AI to rapidly get up to speed on case details and respond to students using standardized templates that help them provide more personalized and professional responses. The results speak for themselves.”

    Shaun Dale, Managing Director at Enterprisecloud

    For over two decades, Teladoc Health has been offering a broad spectrum of services to patients using virtual care services — from primary care to chronic condition management. After the rapid growth of telehealth adoption post-pandemic, operational efficiency was instrumental in managing internal processes and external client interactions. By deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot and using Copilot in Power Automate, the company has reshaped business processes to help employees realize greater time savings while enhancing the client experience. The Copilots and agents helped employees save five hours per week and thousands of enterprise hours annually by eliminating mundane daily processes and fostering better cross-department communications, while also helping new employees get set up to run their workflows 20% faster.

    “Copilot is changing the way we work. It’s not just about saving time; it’s about enhancing the quality of our work, allowing us to focus on what truly matters: delivering exceptional care to our members.” 

    Heather Underhill, SVP Client Experience & Operations at Teladoc Health

    International energy company Uniper adopted a single-cloud strategy with Azure as its foundation to drive rapid AI innovation. To help its employees focus on using core competencies, the company implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce time spent on manual and repetitive tasks, and help workers focus on more pressing work, such as developing enhanced solutions to speed up the energy transition. Its in-house auditors have already increased productivity by 80% by using Copilot to create plans and checklists. Uniper is also using Copilot for Security to help identify risks twice as fast and take appropriate action sooner.

    “As an operator of critical infrastructure, we have to contend with a growing number of reports of phishing and attacks by hackers. AI can help us implement a sensible way of managing the sheer number of threats.”

    Damian Bunyan, CIO at Uniper

    British telecommunications company Vodafone has transformed its workplace productivity with Microsoft 365 Copilot, already seeing strong ROI from its adoption. In early trials, Copilot saved employees an average of three hours per week by using the tool to draft emails, summarize meetings and search for information. Copilot is also enriching the employee experience, with 90% of users reporting they are eager to continue using Copilot and 60% citing improved work quality. For Vodafone’s legal and compliance team, Copilot has significantly accelerated the processes of drafting new contracts, reducing the time required to complete this work by one hour. As a result of these efficiency gains, Vodafone is rolling out Copilot to 68,000 employees.

    “Our AI journey is focusing on three areas: operational efficiency inside the organization; rewiring the business to provide an enhanced customer experience; and unlocking growth opportunities through new products and services that we can create around generative AI. Copilot will help drive all three.”

    Scott Petty, Chief Technology Officer at Vodafone

    Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a global leader in roll-on/roll-off shipping and vehicle logistics, is empowering better decision-making while fostering a culture of innovation and inclusion with AI tools. After participating in an early access program, the company broadly adopted Microsoft Copilot 365 to help streamline processes, enhance data management and improve communication across its 28 countries. To help strengthen Copilot immersion and realize value faster, they introduced a seven-week Microsoft Viva campaign to teach, communicate and measure Copilot adoption. The campaign resulted in 80% of employees using Copilot, with some teams realizing time savings of at least 30 minutes per day. The company also uses Copilot Dashboard to manage usage and gather user feedback, helping demonstrate ROI and measure results outside of time savings alone.

    “Copilot changes the way we think and work while keeping us curious and open to embracing opportunities. I think that is the sort of benefit that is not so measurable, but important. So, my time management and structured approach to my everyday work life has been enhanced with Copilot and Viva.”

    Martin Hvatum, Senior Global Cash Manager at Wallenius Wilhelmsen

    I believe that no other company has a better foundation to facilitate your AI Transformation than Microsoft. As we look ahead to Microsoft Ignite, I am excited by the latest innovation we will announce as a company, and the customer and partner experiences we will share. We remain committed to driving innovation that creates value in ways that matter most to our customers, and believe we are at our best when we serve others. There has never been a better opportunity for us to accomplish our mission of empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more than now, and I look forward to the ways we will partner together to help you achieve more with AI.

    AI Customer Stories from FY25 Q1

    Accelleron: Accelleron turbocharges IT support solutions and resolution times with Power Platform

    Agnostic Intelligence: Agnostic Intelligence transforms risk management with Azure OpenAI Service, achieving up to 80% time savings

    Alaska Airlines: How Alaska Airlines uses technology to ensure its passengers have a seamless journey from ticket purchase to baggage pickup

    Allgeier: Allgeier empowers organizations to own and expand data operations

    ANZ Group: ANZ launches first-of-its-kind AI Immersion Centre in partnership with Microsoft

    Asahi Europe & International: Asahi Europe & International charts new paths in employee productivity with Microsoft Copilot

    Auburn University: Auburn University empowers thousands of students, faculty and staff to explore new ways of using AI with Microsoft Copilot

    Avanade: Avanade equips 10,000 employees with Microsoft Fabric skills to help customers become AI-driven and future-ready

    Azerbaijan Airlines: Azerbaijan Airlines expands data access to increase efficiency by 70% with Microsoft Dynamics 365

    Aztec Group: Aztec Group uses Copilot for Microsoft 365 to enhance the client experience whilst powering efficiencies

    Bader Sultan: Bader Sultan uses Microsoft Copilot to boost productivity and serve clients faster

    BaptistCare: BaptistCare supports aging Australians and tackles workforce shortages through Microsoft 365 Copilot

    Barbeque Mania!: Barbecue Mania! centralizes your data with Microsoft Azure and saves $3.5 million over 5 years

    Bank of Montreal: Bank of Montreal reduces costs by 30% with Azure

    BlackRock: How BlackRock’s ‘flight crew’ helped Copilot for Microsoft 365 take off

    Capita: Capita uses GitHub Copilot to free developers and deliver faster for customers

    Cassidy: Cassidy and Azure OpenAI Service: Making AI simple for all

    Cdiscount: Cdiscount, Azure OpenAI Service and GitHub Copilot join forces for e-commerce

    Celebal: Celebal drives custom business transformations with Microsoft Fabric

    Chalhoub Group: Chalhoub Group’s People Analytics team speeds reporting with Microsoft Fabric

    ClearBank: ClearBank processes 20 million payments a month — up from 8,000 — with platform built on Azure

    Cloud Services: Faster with Fabric: Cloud Services breaks new ground with Microsoft

    Coles Supermarkets: Coles Supermarkets embraces AI, cloud applications in 500-plus stores with Azure Stack HCI​

    Commercial Bank of Dubai: Commercial Bank of Dubai: innovating a future proof banking platform with Microsoft Azure

    CPFL: CPFL expands its data repository by 1500% with Mega Lake project on Microsoft Azure

    Cummins: Cummins uses Microsoft Purview to automate information governance more efficiently in the age of AI

    Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA): DEWA pioneers the use of Azure AI Services in delivering utility services

    Digi Rogaland: Digi Rogaland prioritizes student safety with Bouvet and Microsoft Fabric

    Eastman: Eastman catalyzes cybersecurity defenses with Copilot for Security

    E.ON: A modern workspace in transition: E.ON relies on generative AI to manage data floods with Copilot for Microsoft 365

    EPAM Systems: Efficiency inside and out: EPAM streamlines communications for teams and clients with Copilot for Microsoft 365

    EY: EY redefines sustainability performance management with Microsoft

    Fast Shop: Fast Shop consolidated its data platform on Microsoft Azure and is now ready for the era of AI

    FIDO Tech: AI tool uses sound to pinpoint leaky pipes, saving precious drinking water

    Florida Crystals Corporation: Telecom expenses for Florida Crystals dropped 78% with Teams Phone and Teams Rooms

    Four Agency: Four Agency innovates with Microsoft 365 Copilot to deliver better work faster

    Fractal: Fractal builds innovative retail and consumer goods solutions with Microsoft’s AI offerings including Azure OpenAI Service

    GE Aerospace: GE Aerospace launches company-wide generative AI platform for employees

    Georgia Tech Institute for Data Engineering and Science: Georgia Tech is accelerating the future of electric vehicles using Azure OpenAI Service

    Hitachi Solutions: Hitachi Solutions transforms internal operations with Microsoft Fabric

    IBM Consulting: How IBM Consulting drives AI-powered innovation with Fabric expertise

    iLink Digital: Transforming user-driven analytics with Microsoft Fabric

    Insight Enterprises: Insight Enterprises achieves 93% Microsoft Copilot use rate, streamlining business operations to pave the way for customer success

    Intesa Sanpaolo: Intesa Sanpaolo accrues big cybersecurity dividends with Microsoft Sentinel, Copilot for Security

    ITOCHU Corporation: ITOCHU uses Microsoft Fabric and Azure AI Studio to evolve its data analytics dashboard into a service delivering instant recommendations

    IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU): IU revolutionizes learning for its students with the AI study buddy Syntea and Azure OpenAI Service

    John Cockerill: John Cockerill engages pro developers to build enterprise-wide apps with Power Platform

    Kaya Limited: Kaya Limited elevates customer experience and operational efficiency with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power BI

    LexisNexis: LexisNexis elevates legal work with AI using Copilot for Microsoft 365

    Lionbridge: Lionbridge disrupts localization industry using Azure OpenAI Service and reduces turnaround times by up to 30%

    Lotte Hotels & Resorts: Hotelier becomes a citizen developer, building a smart work culture based on Power Platform and hyper-automated work environment

    Lumen Technologies: Microsoft and Lumen Technologies partner to power the future of AI and enable digital transformation to benefit hundreds of millions of customers

    LS ELECTRIC: LS ELECTRIC uses data to optimize power consumption with Sight Machine and Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing

    MAIRE: MAIRE, transforming the energy sector and an entire company culture with Microsoft 365 Copilot

    Mandelbulb Technologies: Early-adopter Mandelbulb Technologies finds success with Fabric

    McKnight Foundation: McKnight Foundation accelerates its mission and supports community partners with Microsoft 365 Copilot

    MISO: MISO undergoes a digital transformation with Microsoft Industry Solutions Delivery

    Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI): Recognizing the essence of AI and building the future with clients: MHI’s DI to create proprietary architecture using Azure OpenAI Service

    Molslinjen: Molslinjen develops an AI-powered dynamic pricing strategy with Azure Databricks

    National Australia Bank: National Australia Bank invests in an efficient, cloud-managed future with Windows 11 Enterprise

    Nagel-Group: Works agreements and contracts: Nagel-Group uses Azure OpenAI Service to help employees find information

    NC Fusion: Elevating experiences with AI, from productivity to personalization

    National Football League Players Association: The National Football League Players Association and Xoriant use Azure AI Services to provide protection to players across 32 teams

    Northwestern Medicine: Northwestern Medicine deploys DAX Copilot embedded in Epic within its enterprise to improve patient and physician experiences

    Oncoclínicas: Oncoclínicas creates web portal and mobile app to store clinical and medical procedures with Azure Cognitive Services

    PA Consulting: PA Consulting saves hours a week with Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Copilot for Sales

    Parexel: Parexel speeds operational insights by 70% using Microsoft Azure, accelerating data product delivery and reducing manual work

    Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC): From weeks to days, hours to seconds: PIC automates work processes to save time with Microsoft 365 Copilot

    PKSHA Technology: PKSHA leans on Copilot for Microsoft 365 as part of their team

    Planted: Planted combines economic growth and environmental sustainability — with Microsoft Azure OpenAI

    Profisee: Profisee eliminates data siloes within Microsoft Fabric

    Programa De Atención Domiciliaria: The Home Care Program in Panama helped more than 17,000 people with the power of Microsoft Power Automate

    PwC: PwC scales GenAI for enterprise with Microsoft Azure AI

    QNET: QNET increases security response efficiency 60 percent with Microsoft Security Solutions

    RTI International: Research nonprofit RTI International improves the human condition with Microsoft 365 Copilot

    Rijksmuseum: Rijksmuseum transforms how art lovers engage with the museum, with Dynamics 365

    Sandvik Coromant: Sandvik Coromant hones sales experience with Microsoft Copilot for Sales

    Share.Market: Share.Market redefines the investment experience with Microsoft Azure

    Simpson Associates: Simpson Associates spurs justice for at-risk communities with Azure AI

    Softchoice: Softchoice harnesses Microsoft Copilot and reduces content creation time by up to 70%, accelerating customer AI journeys with its experience

    Sonata Software: Sonata Software goes from early adopter to market leader with Fabric

    Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS): SWISS targets 30% cost savings, increased passenger satisfaction with Azure

    SymphonyAI: SymphonyAI is solving real problems across industries with Azure AI

    Syndigo: Syndigo accelerates digital commerce for its customers by more than 40% with Azure

    TAL: TAL and Microsoft join forces on strategic technology deal

    Tecnológico de Monterrey: Tecnológico de Monterrey university pioneers ambitious AI-powered learning ecosystem

    Telstra: Telstra and Microsoft expand strategic partnership to power Australia’s AI future

    The University of Sydney: The University of Sydney utilizes the power of Azure OpenAI to allow professors to create their own AI assistants

    Torfaen County Borough: Torfaen County Borough Council streamlines organizational support for Social Care using Copilot for Microsoft 365

    Trace3: Trace3 expands the realm of clients’ possibilities with Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Copilot

    Unilever: Unilever is reinventing the fundamentals of research and development with Azure Quantum Elements

    University of Wisconsin: Microsoft collaborates with Mass General Brigham and University of Wisconsin–Madison to further advance AI foundation models for medical imaging

    Via: Marketplace, online support, and remote work: Via embraces the digital world supported by Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Azure

    Virgin Atlantic: How Virgin Atlantic is flying higher with Copilot

    Virgin Money: Redi, set, go: Virgin Money delivers exceptional customer experiences with Microsoft Copilot Studio

    Visier: Visier achieves performance improvements of up to five times using Azure OpenAI Service

    World2Meet (W2M): World2Meet, the travel company providing a better customer experience and operations with a new virtual assistant powered by Microsoft Azure

    Xavier College: Xavier College begins a process of modernizing its student information systems on Dynamics 365 and AI, unlocking powerful insights

    ZEISS: More time for research: ZEISS supports businesses and researchers with ZEISS arivis Cloud based on Microsoft Azure

    ZF Friedrichshafen AG (ZF Group): ZF Group builds manufacturing efficiency with over 25,000 apps on Power Platform

    Tags: Azure, Azure AI Services, Azure Cognitive Services, Azure Databricks, Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Quantum Elements, Azure Stack HCI, Copilot, Copilot for Sales, Copilot for Security, Copilot Studio, Dax Copilot, GitHub Copilot, Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft AI Tour, Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Viva, Power Automate,

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Suzy Names Grady Leno as New Chief Product & Technology Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Suzy, a leading market research and consumer insights platform today announced the appointment of Grady Leno as the company’s new Chief Product & Technology Officer. Grady joins Suzy with an impressive track record in product leadership, innovation, and digital transformation, having spearheaded product strategies for high-growth tech companies across various sectors.

    Grady brings over 25+ years of experience, most recently serving as Chief Product & Technology Officer at Sendoso, where he led initiatives in product management, engineering, and scaling platforms to meet the evolving needs of businesses and consumers. His expertise in creating innovative solutions and his deep understanding of customer needs will be pivotal as Suzy continues to enhance its real-time insights tools and expand its market presence.

    As Chief Product & Technology Officer at Suzy, Grady will oversee Suzy’s product strategy, software engineering, and innovation efforts, ensuring the company continues to deliver cutting-edge solutions that empower brands to make data-driven decisions with confidence. He will play a key role in executing Suzy’s long-term vision of revolutionizing how brands engage with their customers.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Grady to the Suzy leadership team. His passion for creating impactful product strategies and his vast experience in scaling product organizations make him the ideal leader to take Suzy’s product innovation to the next level,” said Matt Britton, Founder & CEO of Suzy. “I have no doubt that under Grady’s leadership, Suzy will continue to build products that reshape how businesses connect with their consumers in meaningful ways.”

    Commenting on his new role, Grady Leno said, “I am excited to join Suzy at such a pivotal time in the company’s journey. Suzy’s commitment to innovation and its customer-first approach are truly inspiring. I look forward to working closely with the talented team at Suzy to drive product excellence and deliver solutions that empower our clients to make smarter, faster decisions.”

    Grady holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan and has previously held key technical positions at goPuff, WorkMarket, and Microsoft, where he was responsible for consumer experience, product management, engineering, and mergers & acquisitions. His leadership and strategic vision will be instrumental in advancing Suzy’s mission of providing real-time insights that drive business growth.

    About Suzy
    Founded in 2018, Suzy is changing the way research gets done by integrating quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and high quality audiences into a single connected research cloud. Suzy enables teams to conduct iterative, efficient research with agency-quality rigor at a fraction of the cost of traditional market research. Suzy has been recognized on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Startup Employers in 2022, Inc. Magazine’s list of Best Workplaces of 2022 & 2023, Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 list in 2024, GRIT’s Top 50 Most Innovative Supplier in Market Research and a Top 25 Innovator in 2024 by the Insights Association. Suzy has raised over $100 million in venture capital funding from investors that include Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Foundry Group, H.I.G. Capital, Rho Ventures, North Atlantic Capital, Tribeca Venture Partners, Triangle Peak Partners, and Kevin Durant’s 35 Ventures. Learn more at www.suzy.com.

    Contact Info:
    Melissa Dunn
    EVP, Marketing & Communications
    Suzy, Inc.
    917-969-8200
    melissa.dunn@suzy.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speech by FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg to the Center for Financial Studies at Goethe University Frankfurt – “A Tale of Two Unions – Deposit Insurance in the United States and Europe”

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    CategoriesBusiness, Commerce, MIL-OSI, United States Federal Government, United States Government, United States of America, US Commerce, US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC, US Federal Government, US Insurance Sector, USA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis, Federal Delegation Celebrates $66.4 Million from U.S. Department of Transportation to Improve Safety and Expand Colorado Rail

    Source: US State of Colorado

    Total Funding of $94.3 million will help improve safety of freight operations today in Colorado by adding Positive Train Control and crossing improvements to the Front Range Rail Corridor preparing Colorado for fast, convenient, and safe passenger rail service

    WESTMINSTER – Today, Governor Polis, Senator Michael Bennet, Congressman Joe Neguse, Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen, Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Lew, Longmont Mayor Joan Peck, Erik Davidson, RTD Board Chair and local officials celebrated funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, to improve rail transportation and safety infrastructure in Colorado. Colorado received $66.4M in grant funding from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), with the state matching almost $28 million from the State’s IIJA match fund to improve safety on the BNSF line north of Denver and helping to proactively prepare the state for fast, convenient, and safe passenger rail service.

    “Today’s grant will make freight rail traffic in some of our busiest growing communities safer quickly while providing critical building blocks for Passenger Rail.  This major funding will help achieve important priorities like complying with longstanding federal standards and improving the safety of rail crossings, which can be the sites of dangerous incidents. With more than $66 million in federal support from the Biden-Harris administration, the future of Colorado’s rail network is a clear priority for the federal government, as it should be. We thank Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet, Congressman Neguse and Congresswoman Pettersen, the BNSF Railway, and our communities for their support of this important project,” said Governor Jared Polis.

    “A unified statewide effort with the Polis Administration has made this important milestone possible.  We appreciate the unwavering support of our Congressional delegation, along with that of local partners in communities across the state. The Biden-Harris Administration has consistently recognized the state’s seriousness about freight safety and passenger rail, recognizing the Front Range Passenger Rail corridor for the National Corridor ID program, and now by providing this grant to improve the safety of freight operations while also opening doors for future passenger rail. We appreciate their efforts and the time that their leadership has consistently dedicated to our efforts,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew.

    “This is a major step forward for Colorado and the future of safe freight and passenger rail in our state. We are thankful to our federal partners, BNSF Railway, members of Congress and local leaders for their relentless efforts to secure this major funding from the Biden-Harris Administration,” said John Putnam, Senior Advisor, Colorado Department of Transportation.

    This grant to improve the BNSF Front Range Subdivision is one of four Colorado projects to receive CRISI awards announced today. Colorado State University – Pueblo was awarded almost $12 million to enhance the ability to test hydrogen and compressed natural gas advanced technology trains at the FRA Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo.  San Luis Central Railway and Omnitrax were awarded funds to replace ties to increase safety and reduce maintenance costs for short lines in rural Colorado.  

    “The Colorado Department of Transportation’s Modernizing Rail on the Front Range project will improve existing rail operations along the Front Range by delivering improvements to several highway grade crossings, constructing a new passing siding, and deploying the safety overlay of positive train control across a portion of the corridor,” said Jim Tylick, Assistant Vice President Passenger Operations at BNSF. “We appreciate the early collaboration with the Front Range Passenger Rail District, CDOT, and the FRA as intercity passenger rail is considered along the Front Range in Colorado. We know the projects identified in this grant will benefit the rail corridor today while also providing benefit in the future as passenger rail is explored.”  

    In April, Governor Polis joined U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to visit the Floyd Hill Project, a seven-mile stretch of I-70 from exit 248 northwest of Evergreen to exit 241 in eastern Idaho Springs that works to eliminate a bottleneck on one of the most congested stretches of the I-70 Mountain Corridor. This project was announced in October of 2022, and made possible by state and federal investments including a $100 million grant from the Biden administration.

    In December 2023, Front Range Passenger Rail was included in the Federal Rail Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program, which brought additional federal support for Colorado ahead of today’s grant award. Since the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Colorado has won more than $400 million in competitive grant awards to support key infrastructure projects across the state.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Assistant Leader Neguse and Local Leaders Celebrate $66.4 Million for Front Range Passenger Rail Project

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

    Lafayette, CO — In case you missed it, earlier today, U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse celebrated the announcement that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded $66.4 million to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to help bring the Front Range Passenger Rail Project to life. The funding was allocated through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, which invests in railroad infrastructure projects that improve safety and support economic vitality. 

    At a press conference in Westminster this morning, Congressman Neguse, Governor Polis, Senator Bennet, Congresswoman Pettersen, CDOT Executive Director Lew, and local leaders announced that four Colorado rail projects will receive a total of $129.5 million in federal funds. The CRISI grants were awarded to CDOT, Colorado State University Pueblo, San Luis Central Railroad Co., and OmniTRAX.

    “After years of working to secure federal support for the Front Range Passenger Rail Project, I am excited to see the Department of Transportation heed our calls and commit to modernizing Colorado’s passenger rail system—not just for communities along the Front Range but for residents throughout the entire state. This is a once-in-a-generation investment in our passenger rail infrastructure, creating countless new opportunities for communities to connect, grow, and thrive—and we will continue to work together to ensure this momentum leads to lasting benefits for all Coloradans,” said Assistant Leader Joe Neguse. 

    “Today’s grant will make freight rail traffic in some of our busiest growing communities safer quickly while providing critical building blocks for Front Range Passenger Rail. This major funding will help achieve important priorities like complying with longstanding federal standards and improving the safety of rail crossings, which can be the sites of dangerous incidents. With more than $66 million in federal support from the Biden-Harris administration, the future of Colorado’s rail network is a clear priority for the federal government, as it should be. We thank Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet, Congressman Neguse and Congresswoman Pettersen, and our communities for their support of this important project,” said Governor Jared Polis.

    This announcement is the result of the persistent advocacy from Neguse, members of Colorado’s federal delegation, and state officials who have long championed investments in the state’s transit infrastructure. Earlier this year, Rep. Neguse led his colleagues in a letter to House Appropriators, requesting full funding for the FRA’s passenger rail programs. This follows previous outreach to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, urging the inclusion of the Front Range Passenger Rail in the FRA’s newly established Corridor Identification and Development Program (CDIP)—created as part of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help the federal government identify new passenger rail services. 

    Leaders across the Front Range joined in celebrating the news: 

    “The recent award by the Federal Rail Administration of $66.4 million dollars is a great big step in the right direction for Colorado to realize our front range passenger rail!  Thank you Representative Neguse for leading the way, at the federal level, on this critical project,” said Jeni Arndt, Mayor of Fort Collins. 

    “The Front Range Passenger Rail District Board (FRPRD) is deeply grateful to Congressman Neguse, Senator Hickenlooper and the Secretary of Transportation for their advocacy with the FRA. Their support played a significant part in the $66.4 million award that the FRA awarded to the FRPRD, which will play a pivotal role in advancing rail transportation on Colorado’s front range. This support enables us to move forward with the construction, which will greatly enhance connectivity and improve accessibility for our community. Thank you for your commitment to our vision and for helping us make this important project a reality,” said Joan Peck, Longmont Mayor. 

    “This landmark grant from the Federal Railroad Administration is a huge step forward for passenger rail in Boulder and across the region. Front Range Passenger Rail will finally provide long-awaited train service from Boulder to Denver, Longmont and points beyond, and will make a transformative impact on mobility in our community for decades to come. We’re incredibly grateful to Congressman Neguse as well as Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper for their persistent advocacy for this project,” said Aaron Brockett, Mayor of Boulder. 

    Background on Project 

    The $66,400,000 for CDOT will go toward the project titled ‘Modernizing Rail on the Front Range: PTC Installation, Siding, & Grade Crossing Safety and Operational Improvements’ involves systems planning, project planning, project development, final design, and construction activities to for provide track improvement, siding installation, and PTC design/installation in northern Colorado. The project will design, install, and test positive train control with a complementary siding on a portion of the Front Range Subdivision, along with several railroad crossings that could benefit from operational and safety improvements. It will also evaluate, design, and construct site-specific crossing solutions at five high-priority locations along the Subdivision. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: For many Venezuelan migrants in the US, working all hours means hope for a life back home

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matt Wilde, Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Leicester

    Migrants seeking asylum at El Paso, Texas, on the US-Mexico border. Ruben2533 / Shutterstock

    Donald Trump and his followers have eagerly whipped up anti-immigrant sentiment throughout the US presidential campaign, as a growing number of migrants from Haiti and Venezuela arrive due to continuing crises at home.

    Stories about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, have ultimately been proven to be false. And accounts of Venezuelan gangs taking over apartment blocks in Aurora, Colorado, have been called “an incredible exaggeration” by the city’s mayor.

    Progressives have rightly challenged such accounts. But the absence of an effective counter-narrative about migration cedes ground to regressive messaging that reduces the complexities of human mobility to a zero-sum game between national populations and migrant-others.

    As an anthropologist conducting research with Venezuelan migrants in Chicago, two points strike me as vital to changing the terms of this debate.

    The first is that among the Venezuelans I work with – most of whom hold what’s known as temporary protected status – the US isn’t a place they ultimately plan to settle. Their overwhelming focus is on earning enough money to build a life back home. The second is that to truly understand migration, we need to place migrant experiences and motivations in historical context.

    Working all hours

    Two days after the televised presidential debate in September where Trump made repeated references to immigrants, I shared cold beers with eight young Venezuelan men in the backyard of a rented house on Chicago’s South Side.

    Each had his own story of the journey to the US, with most making the perilous walk through the Darién Gap – or la selva (“the jungle”), as they call it – before claiming asylum at the Mexico-US border.

    Having eventually been granted the right to work, the men are now employed on the same assembly line in a Chicago factory. Many of them also work as delivery drivers after hours.

    “I don’t have to defend myself with words or argue with people,” says Hector, a 24-year-old from San Cristóbal in western Venezuela. “I just need to show that my work is good. In that way, I’m contributing to the better image of Venezuelans.”



    Read more:
    Venezuelan migrants are boosting economic growth in South America, says research

    Guillermo, a 38-year-old from Venezuela’s third-largest city, Valencia, works 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week. When he isn’t working or resting, he’s on WhatsApp talking to friends and family, many of whom are among the estimated 8 million Venezuelans who now live abroad due to the country’s economic and political crisis.

    Each week, Guillermo sends several hundred dollars home to his father, wife and daughter. He’s also been slowly working towards buying a house in his home city, a goal that motivates him amid the many hardships he’s endured abroad.

    “I’m a guerrero [warrior],” he jokes as he recounts his journey since he left Venezuela in 2017. In that time, Guillermo has worked as a street vender in Colombia, a taxi driver under precarious conditions in Chile, and has crossed borders from Bolivia to Mexico on foot.

    This determination to return is shared by Guillermo’s Venezuelan friends in Chicago, all of whom hope to go home despite recent allegations of electoral fraud against the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro. “With Maduro, without Maduro, with whoever is there … eventually we want to return to our country,” Guillermo explains.



    Read more:
    Venezuela: Maduro’s declaration of victory isn’t fooling anyone

    Guerrilla redistribution

    The reasons for Venezuela’s present situation are complex. Few would dispute the claim that Maduro has grossly mismanaged the economy. But there’s a longer backstory rooted in the deep inequalities between the global north and the global south, as well as the country’s vulnerability as a postcolonial petrostate that has repeatedly experienced cycles of boom and bust.

    And then there are the sanctions that were levelled against the country by the Trump administration. According to researchers Benedicte Bull and Antulio Rosales, the sanctions have accelerated Maduro’s transformation of Venezuela into what they term “authoritarian capitalism”.

    The bitter irony for the young people I work with is that all of this means they have had to travel thousands of miles to have a chance of building a better life at home. For Hector and Guillermo, the biggest difference between the US and countries like Chile or Colombia is the US dollar, the strength of which means their labour goes much further when it’s sent home in the form of remittances.

    In this sense, perhaps a better way of understanding these recent arrivals to the US is that, against all the odds, they’re enacting a form of “guerrilla redistribution” in a profoundly unequal world. For progressives, the urgent political challenge is to widen the terms in which we understand what migration is and what it could be on a more just planet.

    The research for this article was funded by the British Academy (SRG2324240415). The author thanks Ana Mattioli for support with interview transcriptions.

    – ref. For many Venezuelan migrants in the US, working all hours means hope for a life back home – https://theconversation.com/for-many-venezuelan-migrants-in-the-us-working-all-hours-means-hope-for-a-life-back-home-241648

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Chris Kaba’s criminal history shouldn’t change how we think about the Martyn Blake trial – but it could affect future cases

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tara Lai Quinlan, Associate Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, University of Birmingham

    Members of Chris Kaba’s family at a march on the anniversary of his death. Shutterstock

    Two years after fatally shooting 24-year-old Chris Kaba in the head, the London Met Police firearms officer Martyn Blake was acquitted of Kaba’s murder.

    As soon as the trial concluded, newspapers published information about Kaba that they were barred from reporting during the proceedings. Chief among the details was the news that Kaba had allegedly shot a man in both legs at a nightclub days before his own death, although he was never prosecuted for or convicted of the crime.

    The post-trial publication of details of Kaba’s alleged criminal history should not affect how we view Blake’s prosecution and acquittal. But it will have implications for future cases where black men are killed by police. It will also further damage already-strained relationships between black communities and police.

    Kaba was shot by Blake after police stopped the car he was driving in south London. Kaba was unarmed. Police did not know that Kaba was driving, but believed the car had been connected to a shooting the night before. Blake told the court he fired his weapon because he believed his colleagues’ lives were at risk.

    The jury was not told of Kaba’s prior convictions during the trial, nor should they have been. Kaba was not on trial – Martyn Blake was. So this information did not play a role in their decision to acquit. Because Kaba was killed by Blake, Kaba’s prior convictions were not relevant in Blake’s trial. We correctly shun victim-blaming when it comes to other victims: it should be no different in this case, in which Kaba was the victim.

    Had Kaba been alive and testified for the prosecution against Blake, the judge could have considered whether his prior criminal convictions were relevant to his testimony and credibility. But disclosure of a witness’s previous convictions is rightfully very narrowly construed by the courts, and would have to meet a specific legal standard.

    Racial stereotypes

    The research is clear that when a person of colour is killed by police and posthumous information about the victim is released to the public, it has an impact on public perceptions of blame, sympathy and empathy for the black victim and police shooter, and perpetuates racial stereotypes. And this seems to be what is occurring here.

    Studies have shown for decades that black people, men in particular, are first and foremost viewed as perpetrators by police and members of the public, not as crime victims. We have seen the impact of this in the many killings of unarmed black men by police in the US, from Michael Brown to Eric Garner to George Floyd.

    These stereotypes have also played a role in cases in the UK. Black men and boys are often treated by the criminal justice system and the media as somehow responsible for their own deaths. For instance, Stephen Lawrence, who was killed in 1993 by a group of white men while waiting at a London bus stop, was regarded by police for a long time as a suspect, not a victim.

    Or Dea-John Reid, a 14-year-old black boy who was chased and killed by a group of white teens and adults in Birmingham in 2021. After his death, police initially doubted racism played a role in the killing, and it was suggested at the trial that Reid was involved in instigating events leading to his killing. While multiple defendants were brought to trial, only a 15-year-old boy was convicted of manslaughter for Reid’s death. Two adults, aged 36 and 39, and two other teenagers were acquitted of his murder.

    Police chiefs are asking the government to make it harder for the Crown Prosecution Service to charge officers.
    Svet foto/Shutterstock

    For decades, scholars have tracked how black men are viewed through the lens of the myth of criminality. This view, rooted in slavery and colonialism, erroneously suggests black men have a propensity for criminality. It persists today in crime figures that show minority ethnic people disproportionately represented in every stage of the criminal justice process.

    Yet the reality from government offending surveys is that black and white people commit crimes at the same rates. The myth is reinforced through the criminal justice system, which focuses on some crimes (and alleged criminals) more than others through decisions around deployment of personnel and resources, and decisions to arrest, charge, prosecute and sentence in disproportionate ways.

    For example, police stop and search rates for decades have been disproportionately shown to target black men. Arrest rates show similar disproportionate outcomes. These disparities are not due to a propensity for criminal offending, but rather the implicit and explicit stereotypes of the justice system.



    Read more:
    Stop and search disproportionately affects black communities – yet police powers are being extended

    These stereotypes mean that people of colour, and black men in particular, are not seen as deserving victims when they are the victims of crime or police wrongdoing.

    Academic research, as well as government inquiries by Lord Macpherson and Baroness Casey, have observed how policing culture is embedded with these stereotypes.

    Future of policing

    Following the Blake verdict, police leaders have called for further protections for officers who use force while on duty (even if not deadly force). The government has said that officers charged in future cases will stay anonymous unless convicted.

    The UK legal system already has rigorous standards for investigating, charging and convicting individuals, including police officers, of wrongdoing. Moreover, is it important to bear in mind that misconduct prosecutions in court against police officers are already very rare.

    Blake was the first officer in England ever charged with murder for killing someone on duty, and therefore none have ever been convicted of murdering a member of the public while on duty. There are therefore already sufficiently robust due process protections in place for officers charged with a crime and they do not require further enhancing.

    At a time when police have lost the trust of many of the communities they are meant to protect, particularly ethnic minority Britons, this sends the wrong message to the public that police can act without accountability.

    “We went two steps forward in terms of building relationships and it just feels like we’ve taken a step back,” said Anthony King, who runs a youth crime reduction organisation in London, of the Blake verdict.

    The persistence of negative racial stereotypes of people of colour generally, and black men in particular, continues to put black communities in a position of being overpoliced and yet underprotected. Treating Chris Kaba as a suspected criminal ahead of seeing him as a victim will only further this inequality.

    Tara Lai Quinlan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Chris Kaba’s criminal history shouldn’t change how we think about the Martyn Blake trial – but it could affect future cases – https://theconversation.com/chris-kabas-criminal-history-shouldnt-change-how-we-think-about-the-martyn-blake-trial-but-it-could-affect-future-cases-242051

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From a scream to a whisper – ‘quiet horror’ novels are making a comeback

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nick Freeman, Reader in Late Victorian Literature, Loughborough University

    Readers need to be imaginative rather than being startled by jump scares. zef art/Shutterstock

    Ever since its inception with Horace Walpole’s novel The Castle of Otranto (1764), a delirious mixture of violent death and familial conspiracy, gothic literature has been a restless cultural form, constantly mutating and assuming new guises but always exploring the darker side of life. Sometimes, its fashions are those of the historical moment. Sometimes they are initiated by a book enjoying unprecedented commercial success.

    One of these was Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs (1988). After the film adaptation scooped five Oscars in 1991, the deviant genius became the villain of choice for gothic films and novels. For a time, the violent merging of the crime thriller with the “body horror” of 1980s cinema ensured that the genre was dominated by such characters. Usually (though not always) men with high IQs, elevated artistic taste and ingenious ways of torturing and killing their fellow human beings, Hannibal Lecter and his ilk became modern icons.

    In the wake of such influences, crime novels (and films) got bloodier and horror novels grew longer. John Connolly’s first novel, EveryDeadThing (1999), for example, spent 470 pages documenting the murderous activities of a serial killer who mutilated his victims in the style of Renaissance anatomical drawings.

    In recent years however, there has been a reaction against these excesses. So-called “quiet horror” has become increasingly popular on both sides of the Atlantic. Perhaps taking its name from a 1965 collection of short stories by Stanley Ellin, which was literally called “quiet horror”, this is a genre that prizes suspense and subtlety over graphic bodily violence.

    The novelist Selena Chambers characterises quiet horror as exploring “the unexplained, the suppressed, the supernal [otherworldly], the material, the cosmic, and the secular … everything we cannot see, or verbalise and fail to feel concretely”. As she implies, suggestion is crucial.

    Readers need to be patient and imaginative, sensitive to the nuances and implications of language and willing to respond to spooky ambiguities rather than being startled by jump scares or “gross out” imagery.

    Slasher movies usually treat their characters as no more than fodder for the next brutal killing. Quiet horror, by contrast, takes character development far more seriously and imbues its stories with greater psychological depth. This in turn can enhance readers’ involvement. Put simply, those who dislike “splatter fiction” are more likely to care what happens to a well-rounded, sympathetic character than a stereotypical US teenager about to be put under a steam hammer.

    Women and quiet horror

    Female novelists have been at the forefront of this style of writing since the Victorian period. Elizabeth Gaskell’s tales, including The Old Nurse’s Story (1852), a chilling tale of a family curse, are foundational works.

    A long line of women writers have explored how the familiar, the domestic, the marital and the homely can be imbued with subtle terrors, from loneliness and isolation to paranoia, alienation, captivity and psychological trauma.

    The haunted house does not need to contain a typical ghost. From Elizabeth Bowen’s The Demon Lover (1945) to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (1959), to Sarah Waters’ The Little Stranger (2009) and beyond, the complex and fraught relationships between a dwelling and its occupants have frequently engaged women writers’ imaginations.

    The continuing success of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black (1983) in its literary, theatrical and cinematic incarnations has helped ensure that quiet horror, particularly tales which recall the golden age of the ghost story a century or so ago, are once again much in vogue. This can be seen in the bestselling novels of Michelle Paver, such as Dark Matter (2010) and in anthologies such as The Haunting Season (2021).

    At the same time, readers are increasingly rediscovering forgotten practitioners of the genre. One such figure is Elizabeth Walter (1927-2006). As a writer (and the editor of Collins Crime Club for 30 years from the mid-1960s) Walter recoiled from sadistic violence, cardboard characterisation and haphazard plotting.

    Shirley Jackson was a master of ‘quiet horror’.
    Wiki Commons, CC BY

    After five collections of stories, beginning with Snowfall and Other Chilling Events (1965), she retired from writing supernatural fiction in the mid-1970s as the traits she didn’t like were becoming dominant within Anglo-American gothic. Many of her stories are set in the border country between England and Wales and draw upon folklore and a sensitivity to landscape to create creepily unnerving works such as The Sin Eater (1967) and Telling the Bees (1975).

    I edited a collection of Walter’s writing titled Let a Sleeping Witch Lie (2024). Spanning the ten years from Snowfall to her final collection, Dead Woman and Other Haunting Experiences (1975), the stories within anticipate some elements of Phil Rickman’s Merrily Watkins novels which also involve Welsh border settings, supernatural elements, and police procedural, though they lack Rickman’s religious dimension.

    There is no sense of providence at work in Walter’s borderlands, only ancient and mysterious menace. Marriages tend to be unhappy, families harbour terrible secrets, and the old ways continue to overshadow the present. Fifty years since her final collection, Walter’s work might be more relevant than ever before.

    Quiet horror has never really been away, but it seems to finding a new audience, one which both looks to its past and relishes its present.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Nick Freeman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. From a scream to a whisper – ‘quiet horror’ novels are making a comeback – https://theconversation.com/from-a-scream-to-a-whisper-quiet-horror-novels-are-making-a-comeback-241945

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Gen Z is saying ‘no’ to middle management — and why you might want to reconsider

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Leda Stawnychko, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Organizational Theory, Mount Royal University

    Research shows that over half of Gen Z have no interest in pursuing middle management roles, meaning they are missing out on valuable opportunities. (Shutterstock)

    Gen Z is poised to become the most populous generation on the planet, and their influence is already shaping the future of work. As one of the most educated and racially and ethnically diverse generations, they bring fresh perspectives and new expectations for how we work and lead.

    Known as the first truly “digital native” generation, Gen Z grew up immersed in a world of technology and social media, giving them a natural edge in navigating the modern world. But there is more to Gen Z than their digital fluency.

    What truly sets them apart is their ambition, entrepreneurial spirit, financial savviness, commitment to ethical consumption and strong sense of social responsibility. For Gen Z, work is more than just a paycheck — it’s about committing to a higher purpose. They do best in people-centred organizations that value their contributions, prioritize well-being and align with their sense of mission.

    Gen Z is redefining leadership by choosing to lead through expertise rather than relying on formal positions of authority. One of the most striking trends is their growing reluctance to step into middle management roles — a phenomenon being called “conscious unbossing.”

    This powerful shift is catching many in the business world by surprise.

    No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

    Read more from Quarter Life:

    Where strategy meets execution

    Middle managers play a vital role in organizations, acting as the crucial link between a company’s big-picture strategy and its day-to-day operations.

    Unlike supervisors, who primarily focus on overseeing day-to-day tasks, middle managers are responsible for both their team’s performance and the implementation of broader organizational strategies. It’s a dynamic role where strategic vision meets practical execution.

    Middle managers are often the bridge between a company’s big-picture strategy and its day-to-day operations.
    (Shutterstock)

    However, research shows that over half of Gen Z have no interest in pursuing middle management roles. There is an understandable reason for this: these roles are known for their high levels of burnout and may initially seem at odds with Gen Z’s values of autonomy, flexibility and personal well-being.

    It is true that middle managers face real challenges. Over the past decade, their responsibilities have grown significantly. They manage competing priorities while contending with a polarized and rapidly shifting workplace. However, with the right approach, these roles can be deeply fulfilling and transformative, as my doctoral thesis research found.

    Why middle management matters

    Despite being highly ambitious, self-confident and driven by personal growth, Gen Z may be overlooking the valuable learning opportunities and influence that come with middle management.

    Middle management roles serve as a crucial stepping stone for those seeking to make a real, systemic and lasting impact, offering a platform to advocate for the values Gen Z cares deeply about, such as social responsibility, sustainability and equity.

    Additionally, middle management provides important opportunities to develop essential technical and human skills, including emotional intelligence, strategic thinking and complex decision-making. Embracing these roles can unlock the potential to lead change and inspire transformation.

    How to find joy in middle management roles

    If you are part of Gen Z and are unsure about middle management, reframing these roles to align with your values and aspirations can help you see it as a rewarding opportunity rather than a burden. This three-step framework can help you make the most of these roles while staying true to your values:

    1. Use it as a vehicle to increase self-awareness

    Middle management offers a unique environment to enhance self-awareness. By reflecting on how you respond to challenges, interact with others and make decisions under pressure, you can gain valuable insight into your strengths, areas for growth and leadership style.

    For example, self-awareness can help you delegate more effectively — empowering your team, preventing burnout, and freeing up time to focus on what matters most to you.

    Instead of viewing middle management as a burden or a step backward, consider how these roles can be an opportunity for growth, leadership and greater impact.
    (Shutterstock)

    2. Think of the role as a leadership incubator

    Viewing middle management as a leadership incubator can help you shift the focus toward its long-term value. These roles offer a training ground where you learn to negotiate priorities at multiple levels of the organization and give you access to important networks and development opportunities.

    The skills you develop — strategic thinking, negotiation and stakeholder management — not only prepare you for higher positions, but also equip you to effectively advocate for social change or succeed as an entrepreneur.

    3. Leverage the role to scale your impact

    Middle management is about expanding your influence and creating larger ripple effects. The role offers a unique vantage point to shape organizational culture and advocate for meaningful change. You can demonstrate to older generations in the workplace that ambitious goals can be achieved without compromising personal well-being or ethical standards.

    The path forward

    The world is counting on you and other members of Gen Z to lead the way forward. Middle management roles offer a powerful platform to exercise meaningful influence while developing the essential skills that will prepare you for success in any path you choose.

    Rather than viewing the roles as a burden, see them as opportunities to grow, inspire others and leave your legacy. Middle management allows you to connect strategy with execution, shape organizational culture and advocate for the values that matter most to you.

    By embracing the challenge of middle management rather than shying away, you’ll have a chance to shape the future of your organizations and become a leader who drives positive, systemic change for a better, more sustainable world.

    Leda Stawnychko receives funding from SSHRC.

    – ref. Why Gen Z is saying ‘no’ to middle management — and why you might want to reconsider – https://theconversation.com/why-gen-z-is-saying-no-to-middle-management-and-why-you-might-want-to-reconsider-241662

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump accused of ‘malignant narcissism’ – but how accurately can you diagnose someone you’ve never met?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ava Green, Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, City St George’s, University of London

    Jonah Elkowitz/Shutterstock

    Self-absorbed. Arrogant. Boastful. It does not take a mental health professional to recognise these features as narcissistic. Most of us, regardless of our educational background, are confident to label someone we’ve never met as narcissistic.

    Other behavioural features associated with narcissism can be similarly obvious, including a grandiose sense of self, an excessive need for attention and admiration, a lack of empathy and lashing out when criticised.

    Public figures have often been subject to speculations as to whether their behaviour meets a mental health diagnosis. Ahead of the US presidential elections, Donald Trump’s mental fitness has, once again, been called into question. This time, 200 mental health professionals have signed an open letter warning the public of Trump’s “malignant narcissism”.

    The letter, organised by an anti-Trump political group, argues that Trump poses “an existential threat to democracy” in the US. Citing the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the mental health professionals argue that Trump meets the diagnostic criteria for narcissistic, antisocial and paranoid personality disorder. These are “all made worse by his intense sadism, which is a symptom of malignant narcissism,” they claim.

    Malignant narcissism is considered a combination of the above personality disorders, in addition to the sadistic urge to inflict pain towards others while gaining pleasure from doing so. For instance, the letter states: “According to first-hand accounts, Trump watched the violence he unleashed on January 6 for three hours on TV with ‘glee’, watching his favorite parts ‘over and over’ on ‘rewind’.”

    Even though Trump has not been formally assessed by a psychologist as having any of the diagnoses put forward in the letter, it argues that it is “easy to see that Trump meets the behavioral criteria for antisocial personality disorder”.

    The signatories argue that thousands of hours of media coverage of Trump’s behaviour have demonstrated a lifetime pattern of “failure to conform to social norms and laws, repeated lying, reckless disregard for the safety of others, irritability, impulsivity, irresponsibility and lack of remorse”. Other psychologists have come to similar conclusions.

    The Goldwater rule

    A rule set forth by the American Psychiatric Association, known as the Goldwater rule, considers it unethical to diagnose people a psychiatrist has not personally assessed.

    The rule is named after Barry Goldwater, a former US senator and 1964 Republican presidential candidate who was labelled “psychotic” and “schizophrenic” by psychiatrists who responded to a survey from Fact magazine. Goldwater successfully sued the magazine for libel and won a $75,000 punitive settlement (£57,779).

    The 200 signatures on the open letter about Trump believe they can justify overriding this ethical duty on the grounds that the public should be warned about Trump’s behaviour.

    However, it can be argued that clinicians do not need to render a diagnosis to warn us that a public figure poses a risk to our safety. Media coverage about Trump’s danger is abound and people can draw their own conclusions without the need to put a label on it.

    This is because speculative diagnoses can do more harm than good. The casual use of mental health terminology can quickly become pejorative, as the press has demonstrated in relation to Trump but also other celebrities.

    Speculative diagnoses about Trump’s mental illness on social media have ranged from obsessive–compulsive disorder to delusional disorder, with little consideration that these conditions are merely conjecture. And more importantly, they shame and belittle people who are, in fact, diagnosed with these conditions.

    Accuracy

    But how accurately can a mental health professional diagnose someone who isn’t their patient? Would you trust a diagnosis from a doctor you had never met? Probably not.

    That said, there are some benefits to external perspectives when it comes to psychiatric evaluations. Studies show that other people (spouses, close friends, neighbours) often provide a more reliable assessment of someone’s personality than self-assessments, especially in relation to narcissistic features.

    Research using self-report measures show that narcissistic people tend to distort their responses to enhance themselves. For studies of personality, self-reported answers along with a psychologist’s evaluation and assessments by friends and family would give the best insight.

    You can learn a lot from someone’s social media posts.
    Nicoleta Ionescu/Shutterstock

    Social media offers yet another layer. A study in 2015 showed that a computer model could more accurately assess someone’s personality based on their Facebook posts than their closest friends – or even a spouse. And for Trump, there are thousands of social media posts to draw on.

    But regardless of how accurate these observations may be, making public speculations about someone’s mental health and labelling them with a personality disorder diagnosis at a distance is unethical and, at worst, may have legal implications.

    Ava Green does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump accused of ‘malignant narcissism’ – but how accurately can you diagnose someone you’ve never met? – https://theconversation.com/trump-accused-of-malignant-narcissism-but-how-accurately-can-you-diagnose-someone-youve-never-met-242277

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Plans to cool the Earth by blocking sunlight are gaining momentum but critical voices risk being excluded

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Albert Van Wijngaarden, Phd Candidate, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge

    Muratart / shutterstock

    Solar geoengineering research is advancing fast, after a recent flurry of funding announcements. Yet these technologies are still speculative and have many critics, and we worry their concerns won’t be heard. If geoengineering is essentially allowed to self-regulate, with no effective global governance, future research could easily take us down a dangerous path.

    Solar geoengineering refers to proposals to reduce global warming by reflecting a portion of sunlight back into space before it reaches the Earth’s surface. In its best-known form, this means using high-flying aircraft to inject tiny reflective particles into the upper atmosphere.

    This so-called “stratospheric aerosol injection” hasn’t actually happened yet, beyond a few very small experiments with balloons. Yet for a long time, such ideas remained fringe and too controversial to even consider – and for some academics they still are.

    The academic discussion was highly polarised from the start. Opponents, mainly governance scholars and social scientists, stood firmly entrenched against assumed proponents, mainly natural scientists and engineers. Both sides had their champions, arguments, assumptions, key publications and meetings, generally working on the topic without proper engagement with the other side.

    This polarisation is still visible in publishing today. Take, for example, articles on The Conversation. Critics focus on potential negatives such as altered rainfall patterns, the infringement of human rights, or even a catastrophic “termination shock”. Advocates highlight potential benefits such as reducing extreme heat and preserving ice caps, while others suggest we may soon be forced to try it.

    The authors of these articles are all academic experts. Yet they come from different disciplines and use different arguments.

    A public and private funding boom

    Though the two camps have not resolved their arguments, geoengineering research funding is suddenly booming. There are major philanthropic pledges of US$50 million (£38 million) and US$30 million from the Simons and Quadrature Climate foundations, which are vying for the title of biggest donor with the £10.5 million and £56.8 million of the UK government’s UKRI and Advanced Research and Innovation Agency programs.

    The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines blocked so much sunlight the world temporarily cooled by a few tenths of a degree. Solar geoengineering works on a similar principle.
    Dave Harlow / USGS

    Other key organisations speaking about the need for more research include the European Commission, the US government and the World Climate Research Programme. This comes on top of the shock of controversial private enterprises pushing for solar geoengineering, most notoriously the US-based start-up Make Sunsets.

    Support is certainly not unanimous. Many prominent scholars have signed up to a call for a moratorium, for instance. And at a recent UN Environment Assembly session in Kenya many climate-vulnerable nations mobilised against calls for further research into what they see as a highly risky technology that would enable big emitters to carry on emitting.

    However, many powerful interests are seemingly in favour of more research, while the 1.5°C global warming target is moving ever further out of sight. In the near future, we can therefore expect further research, perhaps including including small-scale outdoor experiments.

    As PhD students working on geoengineering, situated somewhere between both camps, we have found this polarisation deeply unproductive and difficult to deal with. Our own research sometimes feels like wandering through a minefield of opinions and perspectives. Yet we can also see the valuable concerns and hopes of both sides.

    That’s why we believe that upcoming research projects must factor in the concerns of opponents, and not represent only supporters of geoengineering or those who have not been explicitly against it. Excluding critical voices would directly impact the scientific process, for one thing.

    But this exclusion is especially worrying as there are currently no governance structures for solar geoengineering. If efforts to develop such governance only involve supportive researchers, they could lack the critical capacity to prevent risks or undesired effects. Disasters in the financial sector and the chemical industry warn us of the perils of self-regulation without critical voices.

    Learn from the critics

    There are other critiques that ought to be factored into any major research project. They include concerns that simply researching the technology will create a slippery slope towards it being deployed, or worries that geoengineering ignores the social and political dynamics behind climate change and addresses only its outcomes. There are also major governance concerns over issues such as the role of the military (could geoengineering be deployed for security reasons in contested regions like the Arctic?), or the concentration of research at influential institutions in the US and Europe.

    Over time, geoengineering researchers have become more aware of such arguments and some are explicitly trying to include them in their work. The American Geophysical Union has recently published an ethical framework for geoengineering, which should provide valuable guidance for any research project. But without active dialogue with critical scholars, their arguments will likely only echo faintly in the pro-research space.

    In practice, more engagement between the two camps would come with many difficulties. For advocates, it can be tempting to avoid such debates and exclude those who disagree with the very foundations on which their research is built. On the flip side, some scholars who have already explicitly argued against the continuation of solar geoengineering research would nevertheless have to participate in it.

    The practical implications will therefore need to be carefully worked out. However, a more productive dialogue might still shape a future that can be acceptable to all sides.

    Albert Van Wijngaarden receives PhD funding from Gates Cambridge. He is involved in UArctic’s Frozen Arctic Conservation project, and was an advisory board member of Ocean Vision’s Sea Ice Roadmap.

    Adrian Hindes is also an analyst for Civilization Research Institute which does work pertaining to global catastrophic risks, including those related to emerging technologies such as solar geoengineering.

    Chloe Colomer receives PhD funding from the UK Research Institute (UKRI) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with the grants EP/R513143/1 and EP/T517793/1.

    – ref. Plans to cool the Earth by blocking sunlight are gaining momentum but critical voices risk being excluded – https://theconversation.com/plans-to-cool-the-earth-by-blocking-sunlight-are-gaining-momentum-but-critical-voices-risk-being-excluded-236882

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Norman coin hoard becomes England’s most valuable treasure – it could have been worth a lot more

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chloe Duckworth, Reader in Archaeological Science & Public Engagement, Newcastle University

    There is clearly giddy excitement in the shaky footage showing hands scrabbling in the soil in the Chew Valley in south-west England. A close-up shot captures someone pulling silver coin after silver coin from the churned earth as a woman laughs “there’s pennies everywhere.” The video accompanied news reports in 2019 of the monumental find by seven detectorists of a hoard of silver coins dating from the time of the Norman conquest in the 11th century.

    The hoard has just been purchased for a whopping £4.3 million by the South West Heritage Trust. While this might be the largest amount ever paid for such a discovery, as an archaeological scientist I can tell you that much of its historical value was lost the moment it was pulled from the ground.

    Such stories of amateur finds are easy to get behind. Detectorists are the underdogs – amateurs who are driven by their passion for the past to spend their free time diligently searching for hidden treasures.

    The nation’s love of such stories was seized upon in Mackenzie Crook’s gently hilarious television show, Detectorists (2014). As reflected in the series, however, metal detecting has a fraught relationship with archaeology.

    The videos showing the detectorists scrambling excitedly in the dirt.

    While both involve digging up remains of the past, the two groups have different opinions on what is most important when it comes to such finds. For archaeologists, the finds themselves are often less important than the context in which they were discovered – the opposite is true for detectorists.

    The detectorists in the Chew Valley were acting within the law. They first sought permission from the landowner, and ensured the find was reported to the authorities. However, as the video of the discovery shows, the coins were dug out haphazardly.

    Archaeologists would have gone about this in a different way, following a scientific process of excavation and recording. This is because once excavated the contextual information is destroyed forever.

    For instance, when speaking about the Chew Valley Hoard on Radio 4’s PM programme, Professor Michael Lewis, head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (a voluntary government-run programme that records small finds of archaeological interest by members of the public), struggled to answer any specific questions about the circumstances in which the hoard had originally been interred. This is because of the way it had been dug up.

    To dig or not to dig?

    Archaeology today employs a unique system of excavation, a sort of reverse engineering of the sequence of past events. This comes complete with intensive recording, sampling of soils and other processes designed to minimise the loss of information.

    In the case of hoards – deliberately buried caches of valuables from a time before banks and safes – this method of recovery can preserve information about the date of burial and whether the items were deposited in a single episode or over time. It can also help ascertain what organic materials were originally present and even provide insights into the meaning of the objects for those who deposited them.

    We saw this sort of process able to take place in 2014 after detectorists found the Galloway Hoard – more than 100 gold, silver, glass, crystal, stone and earthen objects from the Viking age. These amateurs contacted the relevant authorities before digging it up, which meant it was possible, through expert recovery, to reconstruct the precious textiles and other containers in which the objects were originally buried.

    Many countries, including Greece, strictly outlaw the use of metal detectors for treasure hunting, although many people continue to do so in secret. In the UK, the hope is that by legalising reporting and offering purchase of treasure, the finds can at least be preserved for research and for public viewing.

    However, there isn’t anything in this approach to stop the unscientific method of recovery, which will continue to rob us of much more that we might have known. This leaves the question of whether such finds should even be dug up at all.

    Archaeology is a relatively young discipline, but the surviving remains of the distant past are a finite resource. Land development, climate change, mechanised agriculture, population growth, war, looting and desecration are threats facing archaeological sites the world over.

    In recent years professional archaeologists have responded by excavating the bare minimum. We might dig ahead of construction works and large infrastructure projects such as HS2. Sometimes we excavate because a site is threatened by coastal erosion or other environmental changes. When we dig purely for the sake of research, or as part of a community project, we focus on partial recovery, prioritising survey, geophysics and “test-pitting” (a sort of archaeological keyhole surgery).

    In all cases we must also ensure that there is enough money to cover the conservation and protection of the things we dig up, and, crucially, publish the reports of their excavation, with all its insight into the context of the finds.


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    Chloe Duckworth does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Norman coin hoard becomes England’s most valuable treasure – it could have been worth a lot more – https://theconversation.com/norman-coin-hoard-becomes-englands-most-valuable-treasure-it-could-have-been-worth-a-lot-more-242359

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –